I Lied
by coup fatal
Summary: RATING HAS CHANGED TO "M" I lied about my entire life to them and they didn't even question it. They didn't ask for anything. So I lied when they asked me for my real name. I lied when they asked me my age. "Rogue," I had said, "I am Sixteen." I lied.
1. I Lied

**Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men (this is only disclaimer you will get for the entire story).**

**A/N: I know, I can't believe I am starting another story when I have so many unfinished but this little bunny wouldn't go away!!! I had to post it. It was chewing at the bit this one. So here it is. Tell me what ya think?**

**Prologue **

I lied.

I lied about my entire life to them and they didn't even question it. They never asked me for my real name, never even asked for my social security number. They didn't ask for the names of my parents or for my address. They didn't ask me about my life before I met Wolverine in some unnamable bar in some nowhere town in Canada. They didn't ask for anything. So I lied when they asked me for my real name. I lied when they asked me my age.

_Rogue _I had said _I am sixteen_.

I lied.


	2. No One Knew

**A/N: Alright. I am taking HUGE liberties with this and adding my own flare to things. Really I just hadn't read a story yet that involved our Rogue being a liar about her entire life before. So we'll play it by ear and see how it goes. So just to let you know EVERYTHING from the movie about Rogue's life is supposed to be a lie. She isn't from Mississippi her parents didn't kick her out and she didn't kiss a boy named David. None of that happened. This is what happened. Okay? Alright now that we are on the same page here we go.**

**Chapter 2: No One Knew**

Three years. I have lived in Xavier's Mansion for Gifted Youngsters for three years and no one has become the wiser. No one believed that my Mississippi accent was really Texan. No one knew that in actuality that my parents are both six feet under and are rotting away in coffins bought by my Aunt Janie. No one knew that I am a wanted felon for murder in the state that has recently put an express lane in its lethal injection department.

Then when Magneto kidnapped me from the train station and had me locked up on the Statue of Liberty. No one knew how grateful I was to finally be dieing. To finally be ending the constant misery that I had been living in for nearly five years now.

And afterwards as I sat in my bedroom at Xavier's no one knew how I contemplated taking a pair of scissors and running them down my arms until I finally drained my self dry like I had so many others before. No one knew and I didn't have the heart to tell them.

That is until he showed up and changed everything.

**A/N: HEHEHEHE… I am keeping it short. Planned on making it a million times longer but decided against it. It'll keep you curious until a later time and date. Also you can now follow me on twitter at ****.com/Coupfatal**** you can also find the link on my profile page. So until next time then… **


	3. I Was Just Fine

**A/N: I am sorry but this unfortunately will not be a Rogan. Though there will be a slight indication of fatherly-daughterly love if not something a little more but that's about it. This chapter is a lot longer than the rest and more information is revealed**.

**Chapter 3: I Was Just Fine**

I wasn't ever supposed to fall in love. I was never supposed to do anything more than what I'm doing right now. And I was just fine with that. I was fine with the life that I had made out for my self. I was just fine with what I had and what life was going to be like for me. I had accepted that and had moved on.

That is until he came to the school.

An old friend of Storm's from her childhood. A man Logan vaguely remembered as the first person he met when he first woke up. A man that is twice my age physically and about half my age mentally.

A man that thought I was a prize to be won.

Remy LeBeau was his name. He's a Louisiana boy with the accent to boot; you know the thick kind that feels like molasses in June and tastes just the same. And every time he spoke I felt a pang with in my chest that reminded me of why I was never supposed to go back down below the Mason-Dixion Line. He reminded me of why I could never step foot within a breath of my home.

And I hated him for that.

I hated him for reminding me of what life is like in the South. Where families spend all day outside in the summer sun and sweet tea (served with ice) was always waiting for you. Where people knew you by your first name and waved at you when you drove by. Where dinner was served like a thanksgiving feast and the entire family made sure to be there by the time Dad sat down to say grace.

He made me remember when I was happy and I didn't have to lie all the time.

My momma used to tell me that not telling the whole truth was a lie. She would say that lying was a sin punishable by God himself and I should be careful for what I choose to say before saying it. That's what she used to tell us kids right before she would ask us which one of us broke the other's Barbie or stole the other's shoe. My momma always had a way with words.

So here we are sitting on the back patio on a hot New York day. Just the two of us basking in what we both consider to be a pretty nice afternoon for July. We're drinking ice tea and eating leftover meatloaf sandwiches. Everyone else is up in their rooms sitting in the air conditioning listening to their television or to their ipods.

"Why do you hate me?" He asks me between bites of his sandwich. I look up at him curiously. I hadn't realized that my hate for him had become so obvious.

"Because," I begin to say as I cock my head to the side deciding on what to say, "Because you remind me of home."

My Momma used to tell me to never apologize for showing my true feelings. She used to say that when you do so, you are only apologizing for telling the truth and she told me to never apologize for telling the truth or for showing my true feelings for that matter.

"You miss it that much _Chere?_" He asked me in that Cajun lit of his.

"I miss it more than I ought to," I replied taking a sip of my sweet ice tea.

"Me too _Chere_, me too," he replied solemnly and that was the end of our conversation.

We sat there on that patio-set eating meatloaf sandwiches and sipping ice tea well into the afternoon. Neither of us said much, just the casual passing of basic conversations about the weather, politics, gossip and the ever so slight mention of home. But that was it, the end of our conversation.

Later that night I sat on the roof of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters looking over the grounds with silent revere. His lone figure approached me in the dark, the tip of cigarette and his glowing red eyes were the only things that I could see.

"Hey _Chere_," he said to me as he sat down near the ledge. His arms hung off his knees in a casual way.

"Go away Remy," I asked him in that polite southern tone I had become so accustomed to using these past few years.

"Now _Chere_ why would Remy ever want to do that?" He asked me pulling a drag from his cigarette before letting the smoke out slowly.

"Because I asked you too," I reply staring at the swirling smoke as it curled and then dissipated into the nothingness.

"Remy was never one to do as he was told _Chere_. Even a _petite fille_ like your self knows that," he answered without looking at me.

"Why do you try so hard Remy?" I ask him with a sigh staring at his long fingers covered in black leather gloves.I know he doesn't wear them as a fashion statement. I know he wears them to hide the scars.

"I know you're hiding something _Chere_. Not sure what yet, but I've got me a feeling that it's something I should know," I feel my breath catch at his words. But then I let it go slowly.

I figure that he's probably just picking up on some of my smaller lies with his empathy. He doesn't have anything concrete but I have a good idea that he's starting to put the pieces together. I had thought if anyone could have found me out it would have been Xavier or at the very least Logan. But that was then and this is now and neither of them are here anymore to do anything about it.

"You ever hear about what happened to that cat that got just a little bit too curious?" I ask him with a threatening sort of tone. A tone perfected by men much older than I who have used it a time or two to get what they wanted. It seemed even I could procure it with the same menacing degree as I felt Remy grow still behind me.

"Is that a threat _Chere_?" He asks me cautiously and I almost smirk at the pleasure.

"I don't go around digging up your past Remy and if I were you I would make damn well sure I never dug up mine," said I with a poison on my tongue that slithered around him like a ripe red apple. He looks at me then, his piercing devil eyes staring at me like this is the first time he's really ever noticed me. I almost laugh at the irony of the situation.

"It can't possibly be that bad _chere_, nothing you could do could ever be that bad," Remy says more to himself than to me.

"You have no idea what I am capable of Gambit. You have no idea what I've done to survive. No one does and I don't plan on letting anyone find out," I whispered harshly to him before standing up.

"Maybe Remy can help _Chere_," He practically pleads with me to allow him the opportunity to get close to me when everyone else has failed. I let out a sarcastic laugh that fills me up and washes over me with a coldness I am all too fond of. I don't let anyone get close. Not anymore anyways. I am untouchable. I am the Rogue.

"I am doing just fine without your help Gambit. I've worked to damn hard for this life that I am currently living in. And it doesn't matter what assistance you can offer me, no one can help me, not even you."

I left him there on the roof with a quick turn and fast feet as I disappeared into the night.

He approached me again the next morning. His dark sunglasses are firmly in place; an ace of spades twirling between his fingers in clear agitation from a night of restless sleep. I can tell he's still upset about our conversation from the night before. I don't let it get to me.

"Morning_ Chere_," He cordially acknowledges before sitting down beside me. I nod my head before continuing to eat my cereal.

"I heard a rumor today," Remy begins to tell me and I pretend that my cereal is more important than whatever rumor he's heard.

"I heard that Iceman and Shadowcat will be coming home today," He says it slowly waiting to see my reaction. I closely my eyes briefly before deciding that encouraging him wasn't worth any of my effort before I begin to speak.

"Then I guess we should be hurrying along to the debriefing," I reply before pushing back my seat and standing up waiting for him to follow me.

"It doesn't bother you _Chere_?" He asks me in that curious tone of his. But I know better. He's fishing for something and I am just not sure what yet.

"Look Gambit," I begin to say in that serious tone of mine, "Bobby and I aren't together anymore. If you haven't noticed we haven't been together in a long while. Kitty and him are just fine together and I am just fine with that."

"Yeah _Chere_ you keep saying that."

I sigh before leaving him to sit at the breakfast table alone as I head down to the locker rooms to change into my uniform.

"What's your name?" He asks me as we fight against one another on mats in the danger room. The entire team is there today. Watching us go against one another in a string of defensive and offensive moves perfected from years of hard hand to hand combat training.

"Rogue," I say sternly as I land a high kick to his head. He ducks and rolls away, does a flip and is back in his fighting stance before I can blink.

"What's your real name," He presses as I charge him. He grabs my arm and twists it behind my back. He's got his leather clad arm wrapped tight around my neck as I struggle for a way out.

"Like I would tell you," I say as I feel his grip loosen and I am out of his hold in seconds.

"I just figured that I would at least ask _Chere_, I mean has anyone ever even asked?" He asks me and I stop my advance on him again. I stand stalk still and just stare at him. Everyone in the room is watching us. They have been from the start. They're up in the control room studying our moves like ants in a glass case.

"Once, a long time ago on a deserted road in Canada," I whisper in reply.

The memory floats up and surrounds me. It was the first time in a long while that I felt like some one actually cared. I had been more than thrilled that someone had taken the time to ask me my real name.

"Why?" He asks me with a cock of his head like a puppy hearing his name for the first time.

"Because he cared," I answer back looking at him straight in the face.

"What happened to him?" He asks me and I can feel my self sobering up, can feel the memory wash away from me as I remember last year when he left.

"He died. Not all at once, but in small pieces over time," I answer him before hopping off the mat and all but running out of the danger room.

"Rogue?" A girl no more than fifteen calls out to me from across the room. I am reading a book in a love seat and Gambit is on the floor across from me playing solitaire. He seems to be around me more and more every day. He's always finding an excuse to sit beside me or to just be in my company.

"Yes?" I ask as I sit my book down.

"There's a boy here to see you. Says his name is Cody Robbins," she answers and I just stare at her in disbelief.

"Cody Robbins?" I ask again in a mumble sort of way as if the name has made my tongue go numb.

"Yeah, that's what he said."

The girl leaves and I watch her retreating figure in astonishment.

"Who's Cody Robbins?" Gambit asks me and I tell him just like my momma taught me too.

"Cody Robbins," I begin to say, "is twenty two years old and the last time I checked he was residing in Baylor Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. He was in the coma ward with no chance of recovery."

"How you know?" Gambit questions with pure curiosity.

"I put him there about eight years ago."

And I know in this moment that I am not just fine anymore.

**A/N: Alright chapter finished. Hope you liked it. I sure did. **


	4. In the Beginning

**A/N: Wow I got a lot of reviews last chapter. So here's the next one. Hope it does me some justice. Not a lot of Rogue and Remy action in this one. But there will be in later chapters. **

**Chapter 4: In the Beginning **

When I was younger Cody and I would play outside all day long. We would run barefoot across town to Susan's Ice Cream Parlor and then jet our way across Mr. Collin's hayfield to his pond. There we would splash and play until the sun began to set and new our mother's would be calling us home for dinner.

By the time we had hit High School Cody and I were still thick as thieves. We spent all of our time together. I joined the High School Cheerleading squad while Cody did the only natural thing a boy his age and build could do in Texas. He played Football. By our sophomore year we had some how become something more than just child hood friends. Somewhere in between we became something more than I had ever expected.

We had been out across Mr. Collin's Hayfield splashing and playing in that old pond when our worlds seemed to fall apart. We were catching our breath on the dock, water dripping from our bodies as we shuddered from the physical exertion.

"Ann-Marie," He had said with that boyish smile of his.

"Yeah?" I replied with a panting breath to him.

"I like I might be in love with you. I think I have for a long while now," he had told me and I remember my heart jumping up into my chest.

"You know," I replied my own accent thicker than it is now; "I think I might have been in love with you for a while now too."

It was right after that, that Cody Robbins leaned in and kissed me for all I was worth. Our first kiss and let me tell you I am pretty sure it was one he would never forget.

--

"Ann-Marie," Cody called out to me as I entered the entryway. I shook the memory away as I stared at his figure. He was older, taller and a lot more muscular than he had been all those years ago.

"Hello Cody," I greeted politely in return.

Cody covered the distance between us and stopped right in front of me. I felt a movement behind me and knew Gambit was leaning against the hallway wall watching us. I didn't know what to think or what to do as Cody looked down at me with those baby-blues of his. I felt transported to another time when I was trouble-free and happy.

"I waited for you," he tells me in that all too familiar sound that is his voice.

"You did?" I ask him. I would have thought otherwise.

"Of course," he says to me an eyebrow shooting up in confusion.

"You're not mad at me?" I ask him mocking his confused expression.

"I was at first," He admits with a sigh. Cody looks away from me, collecting his thoughts, an action I still remember from child hood.

"And now?" I ask him looking, I know, almost hopeful.

"Not so much anymore. I saw you on the television. You were fighting with the X-Men and I knew that what had happened between me and you was just the beginning of something bigger than whatever was going on between us. A lot people back home think so too," He explains to me and I look down at my hands. I have been waiting to hear those words for nearly eight years now. But when I hear them they feel less than satisfying. My parents aren't here to say the same to me. They never will.

"I can't go back Cody. You know I can't," I say with a shake of my head. "I am happy here, they accept me. This is my life now."

"I love you Ann-Marie," Cody states firmly as if it is just a fact of life that I will never be able to change.

"I know," I tell him truthfully, "but I am a different person than when you last saw me. A lot has happened and that girl on the dock isn't me anymore. Ann-Marie doesn't exist anymore. I am Rogue now."

"I'd like to get to know Rogue," Cody says without a pause with that boyish smile of his that always seemed to melt my toes to the ground.

"_Nom de Dieu_," I hear Gambit say behind me. I turn my head to him with an angry look.

"_Ce n'est pas tout de votre enterprise, Gambit_," I spat back in perfect French before turning back to Cody.

"_S'il s'agit de vous dire mon chéri, il est_," He replied before disappearing down the hallway before I could respond.

"You speak French?" Cody asked slightly amazed.

"I speak six different languages Cody," I reply with a sad sigh.

"Wow, they much teach you a lot," Cody replied with a smile.

"They didn't teach me," I solemnly reply before motioning him to follow me. We needed to talk to Storm, especially if Cody was going to be hanging around for awhile.

"Who taught you then?" He asks me as we walk down the hallway towards Storm's new office.

"The people I have touched, I can access they're memories. Logan, my guardian, can speak three languages himself: Japanese, French and German. I had an unfortunate incident when Logan and I first got here and I took a lot from Logan and a mutant named Magneto. Magneto can speak both Latin and German," I explained.

"Magneto was that mutant on the news from Alcatraz and from the Statue of Liberty incident," Cody stated and I nodded.

"Yes," I nodded in turn.

"Where you that other mutant on the Statue that night?" Cody asks and I stop and look at him with a piercing gaze. No one outside of the mutant world knew about me even being up there. And even those who knew outside of the X-Men only believed it to be conjecture. In that moment I wished Gambit was still leaning against the hallway wall.

"How do you know about that?" I ask him with a curious look.

"On the news," he said with that same boyish smile.

"I wasn't ever on the news," I stated with a guarded look.

"You said that you had an incident with Magneto. The only incident I've heard about with Magneto besides Alcatraz was the Statue of Liberty. I only put two and two together," Cody explained with a shrug yet I still looked at him with suspicion.

"_Chere's_ got a point _homme_, how you know so much?" I hear the familiar Cajun lit from behind me and let out a small breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Who are you?" Cody asked with obvious disdain.

"To my friends, the name's Remy LeBeau. To my enemies, it's Gambit. You can go on ahead and forget that first name right about now," Gambit said with his usual dramatic flair. I cringed inwardly at the display of dominance in my presence. "But you didn't answer my question _homme_, how you know so much about _mon Cheri_?"

"Like I said, I put two and two together…,"

"How you put _deux et deux___together isn't any of Remy's concern. What concerns Remy is how you knew where _mon Cheri_ was? Remy pretty certain that not too many people know about our location," I had to agree with Remy even if he was talking in his ridiculous third person fashion.

Not many people, human and mutant alike, knew the exact location of Xavier's. And no one knew who exactly resided in the school either. So for Cody to just walk up to the front door and ring the door bell was a feet few had ever been able to pull off. It was while we waited for Cody to answer that I realized that my moment of happiness was cut short, that everything was just too good to be true.

As I watched Cody Robbins's eyes shift from baby blue to passive green and eventually to canary yellow in a matter of moments before they quickly changed back to their constant blue, I realized what was going on. Cody Robbins never did wake up from his kiss with me. Cody Robbins was probably still back in Texas lying on his hospital bed in Baylor dreaming of things that would never come true.

"This isn't very nice," I said in a harsh whisper to the intruder. I grabbed the Cody Robbins impersonator by the upper arm and began to haul us back down the corridor.

"I told you to leave me alone," I said in an angry voice that seemed to resonate throughout the hallway.

"It's time for you to come home," The Cody impersonator said as I carted us back down the hallway.

"And I told you I wasn't coming back," I stated as I all but through the impersonator out of the mansion doors into the warm July afternoon.

"You owe me," Cody said with a grin that twisted and turned into something more terrible than I had ever seen on Cody Robbins face.

"I did what you asked. I don't owe you anything anymore. That was the deal," I hissed out as I held the door between my fingers. I could feel the wood of the door creak and bend with the pressure.

"Yes, well, I am sure we can come to a new arrangement," The impersonator said with that Cheshire cat smile as their eyes flickered back to golden yellow as they stared behind me.

I turned to look and all but growled back in anger at who they were staring at. Gambit was standing behind me, his eyes glowing bright. I looked back at the impersonator.

"Like I said before leave me the hell alone," I yelled to the impersonator before slamming the door shut and locking it tight.

With a heavy breath I leaned against the door. I closed my eyes tight as I tried to reign in my emotions. I could feel the people in my head begin to chat away as they discussed the event that had just occurred. I blocked them out. I concentrated on my breathing.

"_Chere_ who was that?" Remy asks me from my left. I shake my head, clearing the rest of the noise out before I answer him.

"That was my momma."

**A/N: I couldn't help but put that bit in there from the comics. Next chapter will be almost 85 percent ROMY! All Rogue and Remy conversation. I hope you all will hold out for it. **


	5. The Devil May Care

**A/N: Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews! I am so excited by the popularity of it all. Anyways, I had originally decided that with this chapter I would reveal Rogue's entire background and how Remy fit into all of it…but then last minute I changed my mind. So now you're still guessing what Rogue's real involvement in all of this is. Gotta keep the mystery and suspense flowing. **

**Chapter 5: The Devil May Care**

"Can you stop doing that?" He asks me as I paced repeatedly across the thick carpet. We're back in the sitting room. My book is long forgotten on one of the end tables, Gambit's game of solitaire is now scattered about the floor.

"I can't," I reply to him as I continue my task of walking a hole into the carpeted floor.

"Who was that _Chere_?" He questions me and I stop my crusade on the floor. Sighing I sit on the love seat to my left.

"That Gambit was my momma," I say with little or no affection.

"I know _Chere_ you keep telling me that. But I can't see you having two _papas_," He says unconvinced by the fact that my mother might actually be a man. I wouldn't have believed it either if I was any one but me. But when you've lived the life that I've lived nothing surprises you anymore.

"Yeah," I reply simply and continue my trek across the floor. I don't bother to answer any more of his questions. He knew too much already.

"You going to tell me why you're _mere _is a _homme _or am I going to have to guess?" He presses and I ignore him.

"You can't get involved in this Gambit," I say with that warning tone of mine. I can't ever let any of the X-Men get involved. Their lives are already at stake more than what most consider healthy. Gambit looks at me; his eyes seem to soften with each second that passes. I hate that look, the look of pity. I shake my head and storm out of the room. I don't have time to sit and debate my wealth fare whenever one else's is at stake.

--

"Ann-Marie is a _bell_ name _Chere_," Remy speaks to me from across my room. I am digging in my closet for something I thought I would never need.

"Ann-Marie died a long time ago," I curtly reply as I toss out shoes and other forgotten items at the bottom of my closet.

"I don't believe that _Chere_," He says as he moves to sit on my bed. I grumble something under my breath that he doesn't care to catch as I continue to shift through the items on my closet floor.

After another few minutes of shifting through my junk I find what I am looking for. I put it here in a shoe box buried underneath piles of teenaged looking objects so no one could find it. It's filled with about a dozen files and a disk that carries even more.

"Ah ha!" I say as I pull it out and scoot to sit on clean piece of floor. Folding my legs underneath me I begin my search through the folders.

"What ya got there _Chere_? A golden ticket?" I ignore him as he watches me.

I open each folder shifting through the information. Each carries a profile of every living mutant that was once part of a government agency that only a handful of people know about. With each folder I have a picture, a brief history of their life in and out of the agency. I also have all their medical records and personal habits. These folders took on a whole new meaning of know thy enemy.

I ignore the top two. Both I have read a million times over. I shift through the rest. One has a large 'X' on the top of it in red. The owner of that folder died nearly three years ago. Terribly tragic really, fell off a fifteen story statue into the icy New York water below. I get to the last one and I know what my mother showing up here is really all about. She's here to confirm her sources. She wasn't ever here for me. She's hiding me here until the time is right, making sure that no one of importance pays to much attention to the students that roam these halls.

I lift the folder up to my face and flip it open. The face in the picture stars back at me. That cocky smile and the devil may care attitude permeates through the photograph back to the viewer. I leaf through the information and sigh. This isn't good at all.

"What's wrong _Chere?_" Gambit asks me from my bed. I rip my eyes away from the folder to stare at him.

"My momma has made damn sure that no one disturbs me here. I had a feeling that the only reason why she ever even showed up was because someone she wanted was walking through these hallways. I guess I was too stupid to realize who it was before it was too late," I tell him as I tuck the rest of the folders back into the shoe box. I am going to have to find a new hiding place for them now.

"Ah _chere_ you're not stupid. A little slow sometimes but never stupid," Gambit quips not realizing the severity of the situation.

"I am not kidding around here Gambit. This is serious shit we've got going on here," I say pointing my finger down on to the folder in front of me."This folder here contains the information of a mutant that is wanted by not only the Canadian government but the American government as well. My mother works between both of them when the money's right and her showing up only means that they are hot on his trail."

"Who's the mutant _Chere_? Iceman?" He lets out another string of haughty laughter. I don't smile as I push the rest of the hot air out of him.

"No. It's you."

--

We're marching down the hallway, Gambit is hot on my heels; the manila folder is tuck tightly under my arm as we march towards Storm's office. We're just down the hallway now before I stop and turn on Remy.

"What happened earlier today does not get mentioned in this meeting. They do not know, not even Logan, that my real name is Ann-Marie. Logan only knows me as Marie. And like hell will you tell them that the person who visited us today was my mother. I don't care how important they may view it I will not have my life made into a circus within these walls. My Mother and I do not associate with one another on a personal level anymore. As far as anyone is concerned she is my enemy. You are the only person who knows that she is my Mother and I would like to keep it that way."

I didn't wait for a confirmation as I began my march down the hallway again.

--

We're in Storm's office. Bobby, Kitty, Storm, Hank, Pete, Warren, Logan, Gambit and I are all there. I've got my folder on my lap. The entire group is staring at me like I've grown a third head. They don't know what I know; they don't know anything about me really.

"How do you know all of this kid?" Logan asks and I feel my heart strings pull a little.

He's like the father I never had and lying to him has always been the worst. After I had debriefed Storm she had called him in from some unknown location near the Canadian border. I knew he wasn't that far from home since he made it back to the mansion in record time.

"It's irrelevant at this stage," I say as I look straight ahead at Storm. I can't look Logan in the eye. Not while I tell this half truth called my life.

"Bullshit Kid," He says in a huff. I again continue to ignore him.

"I have documentation that proves that the government agency S.H.I.E.L.D. is on the lookout for some of its older members. The one that they are currently looking for is Gambit. They know Wolverine's exact location; they have for a while now. But they know he's practically unstoppable and they don't think he's causing too much of a ruckus to bother with him. Especially after what happened at Alcatraz they're thankful he's still willing to help out now and then," I state looking Storm straight in the eye.

"Again kid how do you know so much?" Logan asks pressing the point. Again I pretend not to listen.

"Mystique came by today," I stated my eyes drifting over to Gambit. He's shuffling a deck of cards and staring at me intently as if I am an entirely new person he's never met before.

"What!?" A chorus of voice spoke at once at my omission.

"She just dropped by to give me a message is all. Nothing happened," I stated firmly to everyone in the room. Again my eyes drifted over to Gambit. Still he said nothing, but his eyes told a different story. In them I could see him putting the puzzle pieces together. Finally he understood the severity of the situation. Because everyone knows once Mystique gets involved nothing good comes out of it.

"What message did she give you?" Storm asked from her rather large oak desk. Like Gambit this was the first time she had spoken throughout this informal meeting.

"Her presence was more than anything she could say. She was scoping the place out that's for sure. I know she was checking to make sure her sources were indeed correct," I stated as I flipped my file open.

"Gambit is wanted felon in multiple countries. That's a known fact that he shares with everyone," I said looking at him pointedly. "Unfortunately for him in his early twenties he worked for a government agency known simply as S.H.I.E.L.D. Many high ranking mutants have worked at one time or another with them. Logan is an original member along with Victor Creed and various other mutants who have since then been eliminated. In the last five years S.H.I.E.L.D. has started a clean sweep operation. With the mutant populace gaining so much attention now-a-days they can't have old members going around and selling their stories to the highest bidder."

"So you're saying Mystique is scouting Gambit out so she can kill him?" Bobby asked completely dumbfounded.

"Not Mystique per say but she is scouting the area and confirming Gambit's whereabouts, just basic data collecting. Mystique rarely does any of the dirty work unless absolutely necessary," I stated as I shifted through more of the information.

"Again I have to ask kid. How in the hell do you know so much about all of this?" Logan asked me again. This time I stop and blink at him a few times.

"Everyone's got secrets Logan. I would rather not go around spreading mine out like some," I let my eyes once again slid over to Remy, "so let's just say I am very informed on the matter."

Logan didn't reply he did however let out a low grunt noise in acceptance as he leaned back into his chair. I nodded my head at him and then began to continue.

"These people are not to be trifled with. They are not to be underestimated or not thought of as a high ranking threat. These people gather dangerous and skilled mutants and use them for their own personal gain. Every mutant on their staff could easily infiltrate this building and killing Gambit while he's sleeping. Mystique proved that today. She got all the way to the front door without a single alarm going off," I stated with an eye towards Logan.

"Yes, we do need to upgrade our system. Hank if you could please place a call into Forge and have him out here as soon as possible that would be great. Rogue what do you think we need to add to boost security here?" Storm asked and I could only answer truthfully.

"There's nothing you can really do Storm. If they want to get in they can. But if I had to say I would move Gambit. Put him in a secure location and have him on twenty four hour surveillance. With the school I would have Forge construct a DNA testing unit for all main facility locations. Mystique may be able to change her appearance but she can't change her DNA. I don't know who they have on staff anymore. So I wouldn't be able to help in that department. I might be able to call some old contacts and see but I doubt it. All we can do is prepare for the worst and hope for the best," I told her with a heavy sigh.

"You're right," Storm agreed and with her own sigh looked at the group in front of her. Her eyes though never seemed to really leave me. "Hank after you have called Forge could you please call Moira and tell her we will be sending two guests her way. Explain the situation and give her my apologies for imposing on hospitality once again."

Hank nodded in confirmation as he jotted down a scribble of lined notes. His square cut glasses hung precariously down his nose as he did so. I noticed to Hank's right both Kitty and Bobby discussing the situation in hushed whispers. It made the back of my neck turn a shade of pink at the thought.

"Excellent," Storm began to conclude. "Gambit pack your bags you and Rogue are heading to England."

"Wait what?" I asked clearly confused on how I ended up going with him. I had figured Logan would be the most logical choice.

"I need Logan here to help Forge install the new security system and since you seem to know our enemy the most, Gambit will be your charge until the matter has been settled," Storm proclaimed and I looked at her shell shocked.

"Look on the bright side kid, you're going on your first real mission," Logan chuckled as he stood up to leave. I followed him out the door with my eyes, searing a hole into his back. I felt Gambit slither up beside me.

"Ah _mon Cherie_ it looks like you and _moi_ we be spending a lot of time together soon no?" He asked me with that devil may care smile and a wink from his devil eye. It automatically made me think of my mother back in Texas. I knew at this particular point she would have said something right from the bible about the devil and his ways. But my mother wasn't here anymore and the devil was certainly barking up my door step.

**A/N: SHE-BANG! Another chapter complete. Now be amazing and push the little green button at the bottom of the page. It would really make my day. So let's see who gets it right. How does Rogue know so much? **


	6. Q & A 101

**A/N: Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews! Ten on the last chapter! How wonderful is that? Anyways, I just realized that Moira McTaggart is from Scotland and not from England. So I made a small improvisation on that so it would fit better. Please excuse my blunder. Also, I suck at accents if you haven't already noticed. So I am trying my best here. If anyone knows how to write a Scottish accent please message me or send a review stating that you do. It would be awesome if I had that extra little help. Thanks! **

**Chapter 6: Q&A 101**

"You're really not a River Rat are you _Chere_?" Gambit asked as we sat in our seats.

Storm had decided that since we were so short on staff that we had to fly to England the normal American way. No fancy multi-million dollar jet for us. Just two coach seats in a remodeled aircraft that threatened to fall apart at any moment. I cringed inwardly every time we hit turbulence.

"It doesn't matter where I am from Remy. All that matters right now is getting you to Moira before some crazed mutant assassin chops that pretty little head of yours right off," I replied as I clutched the arm rests of my seat.

"So you do think Remy is _bell_!" He responded completely dismissing the fact that he was being hunted. I rolled my eyes at his obtuseness before I continued concentrating on not being sucked out the back of this particular plane. "But really _Chere_ Remy feels like he doesn't know you at all."

"That's because you don't Swamp Rat," I stated as the steward pasted us, giving Remy a long look before continuing her rounds. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"But what if Remy wants to get to know you?" He asks me and I clench my teeth at his constant use of his third person speech.

"Look Gambit both of us know you don't really want to get to know me. And I know that all you're doing is trying to know what I know. You want to know how much information I really have on you. And then after you have that information you'll just try and get into my pants or do both at the same time. All I am to you is a challenge. I understand that, I really do. But let's stop kidding our selves here. I am not going to tell you anymore than I have to and like hell or come high water I am not letting you into my pants," I firmly told him as I looked at him with raised eyebrows. I had hoped that my stance and my stated words would be more than enough for him to understand that I was not a prize to be won.

But obviously I forgot who I was talking to.

"Ah _Chere_ so you have thought about Remy getting into your pants _bon à savoir_."

--

"Please stop doing that," I pleaded for the fifth time with Remy. We were only on our fifth hour of the flight and the man had yet to stop fidgeting with him self or the deck of cards he kept hidden in his jacket pockets.

"Ah but _Chere_ Remy be _ennuyé_ (bored) and you _mon chere_ refuse to play with me," Gambit pouted and I sighed in frustration. I really didn't know how I ended up in this particular position.

"If I play one game with you will you please just sit still and be quite?" I ask him as I massaged my temples.

"_Oui_," He replies with that silly grin of his. I mentally cringe at the facial movement. Nothing ever good came out of Remy LeBeau and those grins of his.

"Fine then; what is it that we are going to be playing?" I asked him knowing full well what he was going to say.

"Poker of course," again I mentally cringed; I was a glutton for punishment. It had to be an adopted family defect or something.

"And the stakes?" I asked him holding back my breath at his response.

"Information."

--

"Full house _Chere_," Gambit says to me as he lays his hand down with a flourish.

"You're cheating Swamp Rat," I say to him as I look down at my own hand. Two pair Jack high.

"_Non_ Remy just be that good," He tells me as he takes our cards and begins to shuffle them with expert ease. I lean back in my seat and wait for him to ask me a question. He doesn't even hesitate.

"Where you from?" He asks me and I sigh.

"You know where I am from. I am from Mississippi," I state as I watch him finger the deck.

"I know that, but that's not where you're really from," He says as he peers down over his sunglasses. The red of his eyes seems to illuminate as he questions me. It seems to swirl within its self and almost meld with the black. The colors twist and turn and pulse with a vibration that covers my entire body.

"Fine," I begin stubbornly, "Texas."

"_Bon Chere,_" Gambit replies as he deals out the hand.

I look at my hand in astonishment. I have a four of a kind. I am beginning to see a pattern here that I do not like in the least. We got through the motions. Remy discards two of his five cards. He breaths in and out before his eyes drag away from his cards to look at me. Again his eyes are pulsing from above his sunglasses. I almost allow the shiver that's beckoning to be released out. But I don't I control the emotion and wait.

"Full house again _Chere_," Gambit replies and I all but toss my cards at him. Damn him and his Cajun luck.

"Go ahead ask away," I say with a wave of my hand. He smiles that smile at me and he begins again.

"If Mystique be your _mere_ who be your _papa_?" Gambit asks me. I smile at him then. He'll have to wait for another hand for that answer.

"I am adopted," I answer simply. I watch as the red turn's magenta at my answer. Is it the connection with our pasts, two adopted mutants sitting side by side? Or is it the knowledge of my past that seems to have confused him further? I don't know but it's enthralling watching his eyes pulse as they do when I answer his questions.

Again we begin. Again I lose to his better hand. But I am not paying that much attention to the game anymore, but to those devil eyes of his. They're hypnotic in away that is refreshing and calming.

"How did you get involved with Mystique?" He asks and I answer with another smile.

"I killed a woman," I state with out taking a breath before I continue, "and she broke me out of prison for a price. You know how it is in Texas. You kill someone and they kill you right back."

"Yeah _chere_ Remy know all about that."

And then the cards are dealt again.

--

We landed in England on a water drenched run way. The weather was stereotypical for our arrival and we were none to surprise by it. The rain, the fog and the biting wind was nothing neither of us could ever forget.

We took a taxi to the mutant research facility that was run and operated by Moira McTaggart. A native to Scotland she had recently decided to move parts of her operation to the English Island in hopes of gathering more raw data. I had only ever met Dr. McTaggart when I had been working with my mother. McTaggart had said that she could help my mutation. But all she ended up doing was causing more damage than was readily necessary.

As we arrived at the gates that led to the massive structure that would be our home for the next some odd days we were both surprised by its sheer elegance. A glass structure with carved granite paneling shone brightly even in the dreary atmosphere around us. It shimmered and shone like a diamond set literally in stone. It was beyond breath taking.

"You know _Chere_ dis place we be going to reminds me of those futuristic horror movies. You know like the ones from Resident Evil. All clean and _bell_ on the outside but really they hold some _déplaisant _secret," Gambit confessed to me. I looked over at him with a curious expression.

Then I remembered a portion of his file. A small edition made by me during my own personal research. Gambit was terrified of hospitals, doctors or pretty much anything that involves a clean white room and a medical examination bed. A fear he gained in his early twenties during his own stint in the Weapon X program right before he was chucked into S.H.I.E.L.D. Personally I couldn't blame him. It was a fear I held myself.

--

"I am sorry that Dr. McTaggart isn't here to see your arrival with us today. She had to be back in Scotland on some personal matters," The short brunette woman named Tessa explained to us as her high heels clicked along the hallway. Remy and I both followed her through the array of corridors to our new residential quarters.

"It is a shame that Moira isn't here. But her skills or presence will not be necessary for our stay with you Ms-?" She never told us her last name. Just that her name was Tessa. Vague information that led me to believe she was hiding something, something that could eventually jeopardize our situation.

"Sage is my codename," Tessa further explained as she continued to click down the hallway. The name clicked immediately

"So you're a mutant then?" Remy asked with that devil may care smile.

I had heard that name before. Sage apparently had a super computer for a brain. It was a thought made me question her loyalties. Like Remy it made me think of some movie I had watched back at Xavier's. IRobot. I catalogued the information for further review.

"Of course Mr. Lebeau. Over half of the staff here is a mutant of some sort," Tessa elucidate with clipped words. I could tell she was processing us with a calculated eye. "Ah here we are."

I peered in side. It was a large room with two beds and two dressers. A connecting bathroom sat to the left of the room and so did a small seating area. All in all it would do perfectly well.

"Look _Chere_, Remy and you be roommates now."

**A/N: Well another chapter down and another step to getting Remy and Rogue together… hopefully. So be wonderful like always and press the green button and make me a happy camper! Thanks again. -Coup**


	7. Worm Your Way In

**A/N: Still getting good reviews for this story. I hope we can still keep going strong like we are! Here's the next installment. A little more humor than last time but I have to remind everyone…I don't usually write humor fic's and when I add humor it kind of goes…blah. If you know what I mean. So if you'll bear with me and don't hate it to much that would be spectacular. **

**Chapter 7: Worm Your Way In**

"I said stay the hell out!" I screamed as I once again shut the bathroom door in his face. I hadn't realized at the time how much trouble sharing a room with the Cajun thief from New Orleans was going to be. Clearly I was wrong.

"But _Chere_ Remy really needs to use the _salle de bains_ (bathroom). It be _tres_ important!" He hollered back at me through the now very secure door.

"And I said I would be just a minute Gambit, so wait your turn," I responded as I carefully placed lipstick on my already made up lips.

"But _Chere_ you've been in there for over an hour now!" Remy complained to me through the door. I smiled demonically into the mirror. It was a look that would make my momma proud.

"Patience is a virtue Gambit. Maybe you should learn it."

--

"Remy LeBeau!" I screamed for the fifth time today as I came into our room from lunch. Remy had a very luscious blonde nurse pinned beneath him. Her brilliant red lipstick smeared across his face.

"What _Chere_? Remy was just making sure that this _petite_ had the proper uniform requirements on," Gambit explained as he turned to look at me. The blondes green eyes grew big with my entrance. For a moment I had a flash of another face that had the same look, except instead of green they were blue and blood had been spattered across their face. I shook the memory away as I concentrated on the present.

"We are not here so that you can inspect the nurse's uniforms! She hasn't even been through the proper security procedures!" I bellowed out to him in full rage. He just allowed a potential assassin into our room without any forethought.

"Ah _Chere _dis _petite_ couldn't hurt a fly. She's to _belle_ to ever want to kill Gambit," Remy crooned to the woman that had managed to wriggle her way out from beneath him.

"Yeah well some have said the exactly same to me."

--

"Are you happy?" I ask him as we lay across one another in the dark. He's on one side of the room and I am on the other. The lines had been drawn our spaces clearly marked.

"With you _Chere_ Remy doesn't have a care in the world," He replies to me in that cheeky way of his. I've come to figure out one thing about Remy LeBeau. He never really gives you a real answer, only a flirtatious remark hidden behind thousands of lies created from years of practice.

"That's not what I asked Gambit," I say with a sigh turning my self over to face him. I had for the last hour been staring blankly up at the ceiling. I lay there determining if we were really safe in this glass tower of ours.

"It's the only one I can give you," He whispers to me and I can see the burning of his eyes and know he's telling the truth. It's his only tell, the only sign from him that I know he isn't lying to me. It makes you wonder if that's the only reason why he wears high dollar sunglasses all the time.

--

"Again Gambit and this time don't hesitate," I tell him as we restart our training session.

We're in a secured room on the third floor of the mutant testing facility. Two guards are stationed out side each entrance and exit to this room. Gambit and I have pushed all the tables and chairs to the sides of the room. In the center we've created a sort of training arena. Hand to hand combat is our main objective today.

"I am sorry _Chere_ but I've been conditioned to not hit girls. A Southern Gentleman and all," He explicated to me as I let out a small disbelieving snort topped off with a dramatic roll of my eyes.

"I am not your average girl Gambit. I doubt you'll even leave a bruise on me," I said daringly. He moved into a defensive stance and locked eyes on me.

"You've got that right _Chere_."

--

"Why don't you ever go back to New Orleans?" I asked over dinner. We're the only two in the cafeteria on the second floor. Again guards given to us by Moira are stationed at the exits.

"It's complicated," He tells me as he swirls his spaghetti around his fork. It's terrible, the spaghetti, I know because I am eating the same thing.

"Everything's complicated," I tell him truthfully. He nods his head. I can see the faint glow of his eyes as he looks down back at his half cold dinner. His sunglasses lay to his left. They're forgotten momentarily as we move in and out of conversation.

"Who did you kill?" Gambit asks me and the question for a moment throws me off guard. I hadn't been expecting that.

"Tell me why you left New Orleans," I push with a darning eye. He looks away from me and I can see the pain roll off of him in waves.

"I did more than just kill a man," he whispers out to me. The answer is vague and I wonder what is worse than killing someone.

"I killed my best friend," I reply to him figuring I might as well return his favor of answering me.

"Why?" His curiosity gets the better of him and I cock my head to the side.

"Tell me what's worse than killing a man?"

"I killed my fiancés brother and then not four hours later I blew up a theater full of people. Killing everyone inside," He looked me straight in the eye, never breaking contact. His eyes glowed magenta and I know he's telling me the truth. I can feel it in my bones. I let the information sink in.

"So why did you do it?" He presses me before I can really categorize the information he's just given me.

"Because they told me to," I tell him knowing it's not the answer he's looking for. But right now it's the only one I can give him.

"Whose they?" He asks as I look down at his fork that he's been holding. The bright magenta from his eyes is now swirling around his hand and looping in a beautiful electric color around his utensil.

I don't answer his question; I just stand up from my spot across from him, leaving my half eaten dinner where it is.

"People I hope to never see again." I tell him before turning to leave him sitting at the table. To many questions are being asked and eventually I am going to have to face the answers.

--

"Did you ever love Bobby?" Gambit asks me. He's lying on his bed, head propped against the head board. He's been watching my before bed routine like it's the most interesting thing on the planet.

"I loved the idea of Bobby," I respond truthfully as I put cream on my face and hands.

"Did you love her?" I ask as I slip my hands into white cotton gloves. I flex my fingers making sure it's secure.

"Love who?" He asks not looking away from me.

"Your fiancé."

"No, it was arranged," He tells me and I stop what I am doing and turn to look at him.

"You agreed to an arranged marriage?" I asked completely shocked and unbelieving.

"It's hard to tell your parents no," He says and I can see my sign that indicates he's telling me the truth as the magenta swirls within the black.

"It's hard to tell them anything," I say as I continue to stare into those beautiful eyes of his.

"What your parents ask _Chere_?" He asks me and I am so mesmerized by the magenta I don't even hesitate to ask.

"They asked me to kill my best friend."

--

**A/N: Alright I am leaving it there. I don't want to give too much away right now. It would ruin everything. So now we know that Remy left New Orleans because he killed His fiancé's brother and a whole lot of people in a theater. We know Rogue is from Texas and that Mystique is her adoptive mother. We know that she killed her best friend because Mystique asked her too. Unfortunately Rogue got caught and Mystique broke her out of prison. For a price of course…I wonder what that price is…???? Click the beautiful green button, put in a review, and I'll give a little more away next chapter KAY? Perfect! **


	8. Flew the Coop

**A/N: Want to say to Alexamonalisa I found your clips on YOUTUBE and just wanted to say AWESOME! On a further note; little disappointed in the reviews this time. I only got about a little of over half of what I got last chapter : (. I hope that doesn't mean ya'll are losing interest in this story. Anyways, this chapter will start to get the ball rolling.**

**Chapter 8: Flew the Coop**

"We haven't seen any sign of Mystique or anyone lurking around kid," Wolverine rumbled into the phone as we discussed the situation on a secure line.

"I figured that Logan. They know he isn't there anymore. They probably already scouted the entire mansion without anyone noticing," I let out a huff before continuing. "Well just have to go on as planned."

"Whatever you say kid, this is your rodeo now," Logan replied before hanging up. I looked back down at my black flip phone and began to shake my head. This is all going way to well.

--

"What are you doing _Chere_?" Gambit asked as I turned on my computer in our now shared room.

"I am going to try and save your skinny Cajun butt. What else does it look like I am doing?" I asked him as I accessed my e-mail account.

"Now _Chere_ I knew you liked this old Cajun, but do we really have to go on discussing his finer assets in a time like this?" Gambit asked and I pretended to ignore the remark.

I read my most recent e-mails. Most were from people from the institute, others from people I had met along the way throughout my life. I pulled up my contact list and searched for the person in question. Finding the name that I needed I quickly typed a few quick sentences before clicking the send button.

"Why you e-mailing her _Chere?_" Gambit asked accusingly. I turned to look at him; he had a hard look on his face. A look that screamed danger and mocked any self resolve one could hold.

"Because the trails gone cold. There is no sign of anyone looking for you at the mansion anymore," I said standing from my chair.

"Isn't that a good thing _Chere_?" Gambit asked and I could only shake my head.

"No, not at all. If they know you're not at the mansion that means they are looking at other avenues. They probably already figured out that I wasn't at the mansion anymore either. They'll be looking for the both of us now," I said mocking his cold glare.

"Then what do you have in mind _Chere_?" Gambit asked me with that same old Devil May Care smile. I couldn't help but copy it as I replied.

"A decoy of course."

--

"So let me get this straight _Chere_ we are going to inform your _mere_ of our location allow her to scope us out and then flee the coop?" Remy asked me as I dug around one of my many bags in search of my personal cell phone.

"Basically we are. But I am not just going to come right out and say 'Hey Mom we're right over here in good old England come and get us.' That would be just murder. No we're actually going to put some thought into this. Unlike some of your other endeavors," I stated as I pulled out the missed placed cell phone. Turning the phone on, I moved back over to my personal lap top and rechecked my e-mails again.

I had one new message.

Reading the message quickly I typed the new number into my phone and then turned off the computer. I placed the phone up to my ear as I watched Gambit pace the distance between our beds. His left hand twitched nervously and I figured it was a natural body instinct to light a cigarette. After the third ring the all too familiar cool, devoid of emotion, voice echoed across the line.

"Hello my dear," my mother's voice cooed across the line.

"Hey momma," I stated twirling a pieces of my long hair in between my gloved hands.

"So what do I owe this honor? Getting married, pregnant, in jail again or have you finally decided to come home?" Mystique's acidic voice asked and I could only roll my eyes.

"None of the above, however I do have something you want in my possession," I slithered out from between my teeth. I dropped my piece of hair and moved to studying my gloves.

"Really? A beautiful crown jewel I hope, I would hate for all of those years of training to go to waste to protect simple humans my dear. But if you're calling me to inform me that you're actually using your talents…well I might have to say I am proud of you," My mother spoke with false sentiment and again I visibly rolled my eyes.

"Actually I am still reformed mother dearest, but I must say I have something even better than a crown jewel for you."

"Something better than the Queen's crown? I didn't know something of such value existed," She replied to me and I let out a small laugh.

"Well yes something much, much better. Actually you'll be proud of this one Momma. I caught my self a Swamp Rat," I said with a rather girlish giggle that caused Gambit to stop his pacing and to stare at me in concern. I never really did girlish.

"A Swamp Rat you say? Well then you and I my dear have a date, I'll be right over." With that she hung up and left me smiling like the cat that got the cream.

"Phase one complete," I told Gambit with a smile as he let out a heart felt laugh.

--

"_Chere_ Remy doesn't remember this being apart of the plan," Gambit spoke to me as we threw the rest of our belongings into our bags.

"It'll be the last place anyone would look. I mean really after what happened at the Statue of Liberty who would think I would go with you to Magneto?" I asked him as I swung my bag over my arm.

"That's because only crazy people join Bucket-Head. Not two of Xavier's X-Men," He stated as he opened our third story window.

"Well at the moment you and I are about as crazy as any of the X-Men are going to get," I told him as I grabbed a second bag slinging it over my other shoulder to join the other.

"But _Chere_…"

"Look Gambit you're just going to have to trust me on this one," I said with a pleading look.

"For you _Chere_," Gambit began to say as he slithered up against me. He looked down at me our eyes locking again I watched as his pupils turned into that liquid magenta, hypnotizing me, he leaned his face down close to mine our lips only a breath away from one another. I couldn't move I couldn't look away as I looked into his eyes. "For you _Chere_ I'd do anything."

Then he blinked and the moment was gone and we were back in our room staring at one another in a very awkward position. I took a step back; I could feel the fire on my cheeks from the closeness, from the seduction.

"I am about to tell you something that no one knows, not even my Momma," I said to him in a harsh whisper. I didn't trust my voice to say anything louder. I looked at Gambit hard, trying to make him understand the severity of what I am about to disclose to him.

His face showed no sign of a joking manner only that of a skilled thief ready to steal more information from me. I had an inkling feeling in the back of my mind that screamed _I told you so_.

"My best friend; the one I killed," I began to say as I swallowed the nerves of my disclosure, "was a mutant like me and you. She had the power of super strength, invulnerability and flight."

He didn't say anything obviously not putting the pieces of what happened together. I took another deep swallow before I continued. I didn't want to give this information away, give over this piece of myself that no one knew about. But desperate times calls for desperate measures.

"My objective was to take her out. She was deflecting to the other side. She was going to join Xavier and his team. My people explained to me that, that couldn't happen. She knew too much. So I met up with her in an open air field, one where people would eventually find her body. I wanted to make sure someone did so that she could be returned to her family. She has a brother that lives on the East Coast, Sean, he's a mutant too you know," I began to explain. The memory of what had happened filled my mind, the day that changed my entire life in an instant.

"We were in Texas, the both of us; she had accompanied me to my parent's funeral. They had died in a car accident, head on collision down E. 635. My Aunt Janie paid for the funeral, it was really pretty," I drifted off for a moment thinking of that day. I felt Gambit approach me; he laid a careful hand on my shoulder that encouraged me to continue.

"I don't remember what I told her to get her to follow me out to that field. I don't remember much of our conversation. Except for when we had walked out to the clearing, she turned to me and said she that knew what I was going to do. She said that she knew before I did. She told me it was okay, that she was ready for it, ready to make me stronger and faster so that I could get out when I wanted too. She just asked me not to forget her like her brother had," I could feel the tears forming in the corners of my eyes. My first kill was the hardest I had ever done. It had been a soul shattering experience I had hoped I would never have to repeat.

"I told her I didn't want to do it; I didn't want to be the last thing that she ever saw. She explained to me, her murder, that I didn't have a choice in the matter. It was then that she lunged at me and grabbed my arm and didn't let go no matter how hard I struggled against her. She held on to me until I drained every single drop from her, until we both collapsed onto the ground. I don't remember much, I was so confused, I thought for the longest while I was her. I even had blue eyes and hair the shade of wheat for at least three days. I eventually woke up in Baylor Hospital, the same hospital that I had put Cody Robins in. He was just down the hall from me along with Carol. She was in a coma and had some minor brain damage. Not two hours after I woke up Mystique came in dressed like my nurse. She put me in a wheel chair and wheeled me out of there. So you see I stole more than just my best friends life, I stole her powers too," I was crying now, silent tears of remorse for an act I couldn't really control. Gambit wrapped his arms around me as I clung to him in desperation. The weight of my first murder laid out for him to bear witness to.

"It be alright _Chere_. We seem to never have the choice in these matters, you and I, someone always seems to be pulling the strings," Gambit whispered to me. His face was buried deep within my hair, his arms wrapped tight around me as if I would at any moment turn to dust in his hands.

We stood there like that for what felt like forever. It was just the two of us breathing in the reality that is our lives, both of us remembering the terrible deeds we both had over the course of the week admitted to one another. It left me oddly refreshed.

I wiped the remaining tears from my face, staining my gloves in the process. With reluctance Gambit removed himself from me. Looking down at me he gave me one of those enchanting smiles of his.

"So Magneto then _Chere_?"

"Magneto."

--

"Are you serious?" The voice on the other end of the line echoed back in disbelief.

"Yes, or did you not hear me when I said it the first time?" I asked him. I could hear the hearty chuckle through the line.

"Is this some kind of trick or something? Does iceprick know you're doing this Rogue?" The man asked me with another round of wicked laughter.

"Bobby and I are no longer together. He's with Kitty Pryde now and though that really doesn't concern you I would like to stay on topic here Johnny," I stated as I walked around the empty corn field Gambit and I had landed on. I had flown us, surprisingly, across the pond and back to the States faster than the air plane we took getting here. Exhausted, we had landed in a field on the outskirts of New York, it was here that I was placing a call to the Brotherhood.

"Pryde? Man that guy has no common sense. I mean if you were my girl…"

"John stay on topic here," I reminded with a click of my tongue.

"Right, sorry, so you want to join the Brotherhood of Evil Sadistic Mutants right?" Pyro asked through the phone.

"I do not want to join your rag tag team Pyro. All I am asking is to use your facility to hide out from some people who have a very keen interest in me and a fellow acquaintance of mine," I reiterated to him.

"Ah _Chere_ don't go lying to the _pup_ you and I know we be more than just simple acquaintances," Gambit crooned from his position a few feet away from me. I ignored him as I continued my conversation with Pyro.

"Is that Gambit?" Pyro asked and I could only roll my eyes. Only Gambit would willingly get involved with the Brotherhood.

"Yeah Johnny it is."

"Good, Magneto has a bone he needs to pick with him."

"What has he done now Johnny to get old Bucket-Head raddled? Sleep with Wanda or something?" I asked with a snicker. If it had been Wanda Gambit would be three feet from the moon right about now or a toasted Cajun Swamp Rat for sure.

"No and he better stay away from that sister too," Pyro warned through the phone.

"Oh no, not Lorna," I groaned as I placed the pieces together. Lorna Dane was Magneto's youngest and most cherished daughter. Lorna Dane is the only child of Magneto that had received something akin to his mutation.

"Bingo Roguey so you just bring him along so that we can finish our discussion that he happened to slip out of last time and we'll call it even on the whole front. You'll get your free stay at our lovely bed and breakfast and Magneto gets to have a word with Gumbo," John stated and I could only sigh at my acquisition. It was less than wanting on my part.

"Just don't kill him Johnny the whole point of this is to keep him alive. I can't be bringing home a dead Cajun; it just won't look good on my resume if I ever decide to leave the X-Men," I pleaded over the phone.

"Oh we won't kill him Rogue, trust me on that one."

**A/N: A lot longer than any of the other chapters. So hi-ho hi-ho it's off to Magneto's base we go. It seems we're making all the stops on this story. Hoped you liked it and liked the little story of Rogue's life. See told you more information would be given. **


	9. Mutant Casanova

**A/N: Again thank you all for the wonderful reviews! They make me very happy. Sorry for the very long update. I was promoted and have taken on more than I can chew lol. Let's just say the last person who had my new position kept everything in their noggin instead of on paper. So finding stuff has been extremely difficult. But today I am taking the time to sit back and collect my thoughts. And for me collecting my thoughts normally includes writing or reading Fan-Fiction. Lucky for you today its writing!**

**Chapter 9: Mutant Casanova**

"Does your Mother have any idea that you're here?" Wanda asks me as we walk through the metal hallways of her Father's secret lair. Okay maybe not so much as a lair as a giant metal castle but it is dark and gloomy and that is what Wanda calls it.

"Do I look like I am that crazy Wanda?" I ask her with a shocked expression that causes her normally dark frown to turn into a small, yet barely noticeable grin.

"Never in a million years would I think that you were crazy Rogue," She replies with deep sarcasm. But I know different, there's a truth in those words. Because if I was crazy then what would that make her?

"So what do you think your Father is doing to Gambit right now?" I ask as we turn a corner sharply passing a greenish looking man. I take a double look; I had thought he had died along with Victor at the Statue of Liberty. But I guess fried Toad's recover faster than skewered cats. I don't think about it again as we continue our trek across the compound.

"Probably put him back into our services," she says with a shrug, "you know he really isn't into to torture. He's more into the whole _I will hold this little mishap over your head until the day you die_ type of man."

"You know I never really got that vibe from him when I was strapped into a metal, swirling machine that sucked the life out of me," I dead pan with disbelief at Magneto's supposed sense of humanity.

"You know how sorry I am about that Rogue," Wanda reminds me with a pitiful look. I know it's not her fault. But sometimes old wounds never really heal over. Especially for me, I carry a grudge until the day that person dies and then some.

"It's fine really. But when my Mother decides your going to help her save the world from persecution I don't want to hear a word about it," I quip and she laughs lightly at my joke. But we both know, knowing our parent's that is something that could possibly happen one day.

"But really Wanda, your Father can't have Gambit back. He's an X-Man now. I can't have him deflecting to the other side mid stream you know. We need all the help we can get. Especially after everything that's happened," I state mournfully. Wanda nods her head in agreement. Death unfortunately follows us around like a lost puppy. It is always waiting for us, always there to remind us that we are never really safe.

Fighting this war against humanity has to be a give and take from both parties. We lost our figure head, our leader and half our team in a matter of days. And it was all because of a single deflection, all because of Jean Grey.

"Just pull your trump card on him and he'll back off," she says to me and I look at her in confusion. "You know, the _you tried to kill me and failed_ card. My Father owes you huge on that one."

"You're right. Maybe I can get both you and Gambit?" I ask with a laugh. Wanda laughs along with me. She'll never leave her Father's side. He's family and he needs her. There was nothing anyone could say on the matter. It just is what it is.

"Come on, let's go save the mutant Casanova from himself okay?"

--

I wasn't really paying much attention to what bucket head was telling me. I filtered the information through one ear and right out the other. I've heard this line of conversation before. I've heard it from a hundred fathers and a handle full of mother's as well. It's all the same. Same lines, same attitude, different day, different set of parents.

But what had me moving from practical boredom to rapt attention was when the conversation moved from lecture to payment. Now many men and a few women too had cursed me through and through. Some yelling behind my heels as I ran with my pants down around my knees. All screaming at me about the day I would pay for ruining their daughters. But not a soul had ever caught me, sat me down and finally gave the devil his due.

Until now that is.

"I think five years of service should be efficient payment for the stress you have caused my Brotherhood Mr. LeBeau," Magneto's calm voice echoed to me across the metal expanse of his office. I felt my body go ridged at that. Five years was a long time for my aging soul.

I straightened my back, pulled a card from my pocket, twirled it between my fingers and grinned like he had just told me the greatest news I have ever heard. I opened my mouth to speak, ready to dig my self out of yet another hole. Until she walked in and made my problem go away.

It was in that moment I realized that my debt to society lay now in the hands of the mysterious and willful Rogue.

--

"Rogue for the hundredth time you can not go in there!" Pyro yelled behind me as I pushed my way into what I assumed was Magnet-head's private office.

"And like I told you, I don't give a damn," I replied as I slammed the metal door against the wall as I strolled in as if I owned the place. John was right on my heels as I transgressed the distance between Magneto and myself. Wanda followed close behind at the tail end.

"Eric so good to see you," I said as I finally made my way to his desk.

"Rogue," he states simply looking at me with an almost fearful and unknowing expression.

"I think five years in your service is a little much," I affirm. My hands press the cold metal of his desk and I feel an almost pleasurable feeling spread over me. A lingering side of affect of Magneto I assure myself.

"Oh?" He asks with a raised eyebrow that beckons me to continue.

"Yes, Gambit is under my charge. He is an X-Man and under Storm's employment," I reminded him. I looked straight into his eyes, those harsh grey eyes of his, the eyes of my almost murder.

"I don't see how that would affect the arrangements made between Mr. LeBeau and my self," Magneto reasoned.

"We need him Eric, you know that. We can't have another person deflect to the other side. You know that," I pressed and saw only for a moment a shadow drift across those eyes of his. "We can't lose someone else."

"Again my dear your argument is only slightly appealing. What can you offer me that Mr. LeBeau hasn't already offered willingly?" He asks and I can see the wheels turning in his head. I was a great prize to be won; his strained relationship with my Mother only solidifies my train of thought.

"You owe me Eric," I state as I pull my self up to my full height, "a life for a life. You tried to take mine and failed. Now it's my turn."

I pulled off my glove. My white pallid fingers nearly glowed against the darkness of the room. I never took my eyes off of Eric's. I watched as those eyes dilated at what I was proposing. I was a fox in his hen house and I was starving.

"So whose life is it going to be Eric?" I asked as I slipped off my other glove. "Will you give me Gambit or are you willing to sacrifice another person you love for your pride?"

I pulled at what I had, his memories, and his pain. Another person lost, another brick built against his cold, cold heart. I turned away from him and faced Wanda. She knew the plan already, knew she was only playing a part in something bigger than her self. I walked towards her somewhat menacingly. My colorless hand stretched out towards her like deaths beckoning embrace.

I could see a real fear in her eyes. The dilation of her pupils sold her out in the end. But I continued my path towards her. She stood stalk still, her shocking blue eyes shifting from my hand to her father's similar blue ones.

"You take one more step Roguey and I light you up like a California Wildfire," Pyro threatened as his wrist flicked and small twisting loops of fire circled his wrists in a seductive yet menacingly manner.

My eyes flickered over to him as I allowed a very unimpressed look to cross my features. If he only knew how foolish that attempt would really be.

"Go ahead Johnny. It won't be the first time someone close to me tried to kill me. You'll just be another notch on the belt," I looked him straight in the eye and saw the hesitation there. I could almost feel it across the distance between us how that one small comment meant more to him than just simple implication. We were family once, him and I, or as close to a real family as either of us are ever going to get. We've seen and experienced more pain than anyone else at Xavier's. And it was all done by the hands of our parents. The people who were sworn to protect us. The people who promised to love us.

"Times up Eric," I finally say as my fingers slowly begin their decent on their prey. I can feel the surge of panic from my soon-to-be-victim as my fingers dance only centimeters away from Wanda's bare neck.

"Wait!" Magneto begins in an uncommonly hurried half shout. I pull my hand back like it was slapped. I turn to look at him. I can see for only a second the dreadful fear of losing another child as it crosses his features before he quickly pulls on his mask of leadership.

"I said you could deal with him. Not kill him or hurt him and especially not force him into your service. Because if I remember correctly Eric the last time someone put a group of people under one mans service it didn't turn out so well. And you and I both know how well History has a tendency to repeat itself," I state as I move another step away from Wanda, I can hear the sigh of relief leave her as I do so.

"Yes well that particular man was deluded and a tyrant if memory serves me," he replies to me in that cool tone of his.

"Kind of calling the kettle black there aren't we Eric?" I ask him with a semi-sweet smile that didn't really reach my eyes.

"Let's not continue with petty bantering hmm?" Eric threw in and my smile fell to a thin line.

"Yes of course we wouldn't want to waste precious time," I say to him and he looks at me curiously but decides to dismiss it.

"Gambit is a criminal to the Brotherhood of Mutants," he began and I quickly interrupted.

"Gambit is a criminal to the entire world everyone knows that. It is not his fault that you can't control your children Eric. If you had even some semblance of control over them she would have known better than to go off with the biggest mutant Casanova in existence," I ranted.

He looked at me through hooded eyes, masking what he was really thinking. I stood my ground, not moving an inch as I waited for what he was going to say next.

"Gambit will be placed under your charge from here on out. If a member of the Brotherhood ever finds him not within your presence then it will be my duty as a father and the duty of my people to wipe that ridiculous smile off of his face," Magneto explained to me. I nodded my head in acceptance and the deal was sealed. Gambit was mine in the eyes of the Brotherhood. No harm could come to him when I was around. However if he is ever caught without me God help him.

--

I couldn't take my eyes off of her as I watched her display of dominance in the room. She captivated her audience and manipulated them easier than I obviously could. It was astounding to watch this once thought of naïve and shy girl negotiating my life like it was an everyday occurrence. It was mind boggling to witness the shy Rogue battle it out, toe to toe, with Magneto, the greatest and probably the most powerful mutant on this planet.

I was humbled at her passionate nature over the ends she battled to give me my freedom. Even if the only assault she ever used was her tongue and the sweet lyrical voice that was her own.

"Come on Gambit let's go put you somewhere were you won't cause a problem," she said to me with a fast click of her tongue. I jumped from my seat a little too hurriedly but paid no attention as I followed Rogue like a hound. Maybe the mutant Casanova had finally met his match. And sadly I wasn't put off by at it at all.

**A/N: Finally an update by me… who would have thought. Now be a good reviewer and push that little button at the bottom of the page. Let's see how awesome it makes my day.**


	10. Cinderella has left the building

**A/N: Still going strong on the review front. I hope this chapter is just as good as the others have been. If not then sue me… not really please I don't have a lot as is lol. Nevertheless a TON will be revealed in this chapter. Stuff a lot of us already know but the X-Men don't. Explains why Storm was so gun ho about sending Rogue off with Remy and why she never really questioned Rogue's involvement in this whole thing. So enjoy!**

**Chapter 10: **

**Cinderella Has Left the Building (with Prince Charming close behind)**

"I don't like this 'Ro," Wolverine stated as he stood leaning against the balcony railing with his arms crossed tightly against his broad chest.

"Neither do I but we have no other choice than to trust the leadership of one of our own," Ororo replied as she looked over the railing and down at her students playing carefree. Her eyes watch them like a hawk does its prey and like a mother would her children.

"Something is off with all of this. I don't understand how Rogue knows so much about the Weapon X project or how she was able to get a hold of documents I've spent years searching for," Logan admitted as he chewed on the end of his cigar.

"I do," Storm admitted as her gaze swept once more on the children below her before reluctantly turning to face Logan. Logan's eyebrow shot up in that unmistakable way that was entirely his own, a quirk the young Rogue has since picked up her self. "I did a little digging once I became headmistress of this School. I am not a telepath obviously so I don't have the luxury of knowing the intent of my students or my teachers. So I pulled everyone's file and did my own research."

"Really?" Logan asked surprised at the forethought of Xavier's new headmistress.

"Yes, surprisingly everyone's checked out, even the little we have on you. But Rogue's didn't check out all the way. Actually Xavier had two folders on Rogue. One contained information about her that we already know about her. She was sixteen when she arrived at Xavier's, grew up in Mississippi, didn't graduate high school, kissed a boy named David and that's how her mutation began, so on and so forth. But in the second folder it showed a completely different story. A story I could hardly believe it was our Rogue as I read over the information gathered in that folder. Murder, terrorism, theft it was as if a combination of Logan and Remy co-existed in this one person. Everything bad either of you did was combined in this folder, in this person. It was…unbelievable."

"Until you checked it out," Logan interrupted and Storm nodded her head in response.

"Yes, I called my guild contacts and asked if any of them had ever heard of a woman named Rogue. I got a hearty laugh and a _trust me Stormy you don't want to mess with that one_. I asked why and they of course gave me the best excuse they could _that fille has kiss that will nock ya on your knees. _I knew then that she had at least tangled with a few guild members and that in its self made me question everything we thought we knew about her," Storm stopped and let out a long sigh. Her gaze flickered over once again to the children playing and screaming down below them.

"It wouldn't be hard for her," Logan began as he pushed off the railing of the balcony to turn and lean over it instead.

"What do you mean?"

"We've always been so busy trying to stop the next crime and trying to make sure that we all stay alive long enough to see each other tomorrow, that it wouldn't be to hard to fabricate an entire life. I mean if I had the choice I would," Logan commented with a shrug.

"I haven't seen anything that would question her loyalties 'Ro. I mean look at me and Gumbo, we're some pretty bad apples with even worse connections. Both of us have pasts that won't die, I wouldn't expect anything less from her," Logan commented with a shrug as he tossed his cigar over the railing into a shrub down below. Storm gave him a look. "I'll pick it up."

"Thank you."

"So why do you trust her?" Logan asked eyeing the distance from the railing to the ground.

"Who ever said I did?"

--

"So how do you know Rogue?" Gambit asked as he slithered up next to Wanda as she went over some maps on the dinning room table.

"She's done some work for us," Wanda replied not really looking at him as she mapped distances.

"Did she use to be a member or something or was it just a hire out side the group thing?" Remy pushed trying to get as much information as possible from her.

"I really don't think that's any of your concern," She answered still not looking up at him.

"_Désolé _Remy understands super secret Brotherhood business and all. Remy's just curious about the Rogue you know. I've been spending so much time with _mon chere_ that I feel like I don't know her at all," Gambit said trying to play off her female emotions.

"That's because you don't," And then he was back at square one all over again.

--

"What do you wish for _Chere_?" Gambit asked as they lounged in their room together.

"What do you mean?" She replies clicking away at her computer transferring funds and making us disappear a little bit more.

"If you could have anything or do anything what would it be?" Remy pressed her as he looked up at the ceiling.

"I would want to disappear for real," she answers stopping at her typing only to really mull over the question before nodding to confirm it.

"What do you mean _Chere_?" He asked turning to his side.

"I would stop being an X-Man. I would stop fighting for either side; I would want to be normal. You know get married and have kids and live in the suburbs. The whole nine yards and I wouldn't even care where just as long as I was really happy ya know?"

"How you know the Brotherhood so well _Chere?_" He asks with deep concern that she misses or wishes she didn't hear.

"Because my Mother used to work for them so, so did I," she tells him as if it's common knowledge.

"I know you they didn't catch you the first time Remy, I know you went to them willingly. I also know that they never intended on letting you go," She confesses to him with a blank look.

"I could say the same thing about you."

--

"Tell me about her," Gambit asked Pyro as they sipped beer over the kitchen counter in Magneto's dark, dank hide out. Both Wanda and Rogue were lounging on the couch catching up and watching television, a bowl of popcorn being passed between them.

"She's my family. When both of our real ones and the ones who pretended to be our real ones failed we decided to make our own," John stated as he twirled his beer bottle around.

"So _Chere's_ like your _sœur _right?" Gambit asked trying to make it seem as if this was all idle conversation.

"Exactly like my sister," John replied catching the flow of the conversation. "I am with Wanda anyways. Rogue and I…well let's just say our paths went different directions even when we didn't want them too."

"Ah something tells Remy you and ice-boy didn't really see eye to eye," Remy stated as he looked at the fire yielding wonder to his right.

"We were best friends actually. I just made different life choices is all," John replied while his eyes never left Rogue and Wanda as they talked through their movie.

"So what's your deal with Rogue anyways?" John asked taking another long drawl from his beer.

"Didn't you know Firefly? She's my Cinderella."

--

"We'll need to move again soon," I said to Gambit as I looked over a map laid out over one of our twin beds. Little red X's were littered about the thin paper, each marking places that were to obvious for us to go. "Something tells me we aren't as safe as we think we are here."

"_Cher_ how about we just move somewhere warm and hol' up there for the next twenty or so years," Gambit commented as I went over our profiles of places we've both been before and places both of us would most likely go.

"We need someplace populated. Someplace that even if they did find us we could easily escape if necessary," I explained to him not looking at him as he threw cards into a hat across the room.

"Bora Bora is more dan _bon_ if you ask me _Chere_," Gambit said with a shrug of his shoulders as my eyes cut over to him. I tossed my red sharpie at the paper and turned to look at him.

"So you would rather live with me for the next twenty years in a shack in the middle of nowhere than spend time hiding in New Orleans with your family?" I ask waiting for his reaction. I could see his hesitation at my suggestion. New Orleans in the summer is beautiful no matter how hot it is. And I know Remy, I've read his profile a million times, New Orleans is his escape. It's his refuge. Or it was until his banishment seven years ago. Another thing we both have in common.

"What you saying _Chere_?" Gambit asks me the reality of what I am saying would mean to him. It for a moment tears at my heart at his obvious loneliness.

"I have a contact within the assassin's guild in New Orleans. She owes me more than a few life saving favors," I say hesitantly. Again I am preparing to reveal more than I want to, to this man who no one can trust, especially women.

"Who?" Gambit asks trying to think what assassin would need life saving favors. I can see his brain mulling over his list of contacts as he waits for my response. I know he'll never guess though.

"Belladonna," I state with obviousness before the look of shock rolls across his fine features.

--

"For how long?" The clipped Louisiana voice asks me as I bribe my way back into New Orleans with a banished thief at my side.

"For as long as it takes. No worries sugar we'll be over in the thieves' guild and no he will not be thieving either. Where Gambit goes I go and I am in no mood to go off scaling walls, you know me I wasn't born with an ounce of stealth in me," I tell her more for her reassurance than for mine.

"_Papa_ will not be thrilled about this at all," she says to her self over the phone and I can already see her face in my eyes. Her blonde hair is curled and perfectly placed in rivulets down her back, her manicured fingers, painted blood red, are tapping a finely polished wooden desk as she tries to find a loop hole in our deals. There isn't one.

"You owe me Bell and him too. I don't think you want me to get involved with Marius but I will if I have to. I don't think he'll like knowing all that I've done for his precious little princess. I am going to call the LeBeau's and let them know we'll be arriving in the next 72 hours. And you know how I don't like being late," I say into the phone with a quick click of my tongue.

It was the only way to deal with an assassin. Remind them of who's in power, remind them how easy it would be for me to find her and kill her if necessary. I've done it before to lesser deserving people and a few more deserving as well. One life lost is another saved. Or so the motto goes.

"This isn't permanent clearance Rogue only until the issue is resolved," Belladonna confirmed through the phone and I couldn't help but smile.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. Just think of it as a vacation for him Bella. A few weeks in New Orleans and I'll have him back in New York before Christmas. I mean we can't have our favorite mutant Casanova miss out on the Christmas party our company throws every year. Let me tell you it's…,"

"He's gone by Christmas."

And with that she hung up.

I turned to face Gambit who was looking at me a little too hopefully.

"You know that ex-fiancé of yours sure is a talker," I quipped before turning back towards my bed to begin folding the large map up.

"What did she say _Cherie_?" Gambit asks me getting straight to the point no mask used to cover up his true feelings this time. I couldn't help to hold back my smile.

"Like I said the assassins owe me a few small favors," I never did elaborate on what favors exactly, "That being said if I ask to bring a banished thief home for the holidays it means I am bring a thief home for the holidays. No one will bother you while we're there as long as you stick with me when you go out side thieve territory," I inform him as I pack the map into one of our many nap sacks.

"You know _Chere_ Remy starting to think that sticking with you seems to be a theme here," He states as he watches me begin to pack our bags for the up tenth time this week.

"Like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid sugar. Stick with me and nothing bad will ever happen to ya," I wisecrack as I throw Gambit's still semi-packed bags next to mine.

--

"Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters this Kitty speaking how can I direct your call?" Katherine Pryde spoke cheerfully into the phone as she leaned casually up against the wall.

"Kitty-Cat it's so good to hear you," an all too familiar voice oozed on the phone.

"Johnny?" Kitty asked as she straightened up.

"Got it on the first try! Makes a man wonder pretty Kitty," John replied as he looped his finger through the cord of his phone.

"What do you want?" She asks him with all the worry a guilty mind possesses.

"I need to speak with Wolf man please," John asked more than politely

"Logan's in Ms. Monroe's office right now…,"

"Then ring me up."

"What's this about Johnny?" Kitty asks him with a childish voice.

"About Cinderella and her Prince Charming now transfer me to her office Kitty I am getting bored," John lightly threatened on the phone. It only took a few minutes before Kitty was making the transfer up to Storm's office. It only took three rings before she answered.

"Ororo Monroe speaking," Storm's voice spoke across the line.

"Hey Storm it's Pyro you know ex-student future leader of the Brother of Evil Mutants just calling to give you a friendly heads up," John replied across the phone.

"Pyro?" Storm asked alarmed and confused.

"Yep! Just calling to let you know that your little Cinderella and her Prince Charming where here and have officially left the building. To where I have no idea…,"

"John are you saying Rogue was with the Brotherhood?" Storm asked trying to get a clear answer out of the manic pyromaniac.

"Isn't that what I just said? Man what are they teaching you people over there? Yes, Gambit and Rogue stayed for like two days and split when the sun came up this morning. Apparently one of our greener members let a certain blue one in on the fact that they were here. Said green member isn't the liveliest looking person this afternoon but hey who said life was easy…,"

"Stay on topic John," Storm grounded out in that all too familiar way she had done years before when John was her student.

"Fine, like I said they skedaddled this morning right before breakfast. Didn't tell us where and Wanda can't get a hold of her on her cell either. She's worried so I am calling before she hex's me into next week," John summed up and Storm sighed heavily into the phone.

"So you have no idea where they are or where they are going?" Storm asked as she rubbed her forehead.

"None and I think they want to keep it that way," John replied.

"Alright thank you John for the update. Have a wonderful afternoon," Storm replied kindly to John before he said the same and hung up the phone. Turning Storm was faced with a curious Wolverine.

"They've apparently spent sometime with the Brotherhood and are now missing," Storm explained to Logan.

"Of course they are."

**A/N: DONE! Another chapter down and now our characters are off to New Orleans. Are you seeing a theme here? We're going everywhere and using everything for comics to cartoons to the movies. So very dynamic isn't it?**


	11. Home is where the Heart is

**A/N: Okay so not as many reviews as last time. Slightly disappointing…but I can't do anything about it now. I'll just have to do a lot more in this chapter. Maybe give Remy so more air time. Since that seems to be the biggest complaint thus far. We'll see how it goes. **

**Also: I love New Orleans and make a point to travel over there at least once every year. There's just something about it that really reminds me of the old south you know? I think it's the majesty of the place. It always feels the same, even after Katrina, I still think its one of the most beautiful places on this Earth. Just FYI. **

**Chapter 11: Home is where the Heart is**

"She's not telling us the whole truth," Logan commented as he paced across the floor. The X-Men surrounded him in Storm's office as word of John's phone call spread like wild fire throughout the X-Men ranks.

"We don't know that for sure Logan," Hank's calm voice reasoned as he watched his feral friend worry himself.

"Everything's there Hank. Between the lies, the secrets, her vast knowledge of everything to do with the Brotherhood and the Weapon X project. It's no wonder we're chasing our tails on this one Hank. We can't find her. It's like her and LeBeau have disappeared off the radar," Logan protested as he turned and began another assault against the fine carpet.

"I think that was the point," Bobby Drake commented as he held his new girlfriends hand in his ice cold one.

"Point or not Bobby. Rogue is not the person we have believed her to be. She hasn't been telling us the truth from the start. She's been hiding. From what or from whom I am not sure of just yet," Ororo stated as she, in a very Professor Xavier like manner, touched the tips of fingers in concentration.

"'Ro have you heard anything else from your contacts?" Logan asked as he pulled a cigar stub out of his pocket and began a different kind of assault on it.

"Yes," she says with a long drawn out sigh still not believe her self as to what she's about to reveal to the group in front of her, "Rogue it appears the adoptive daughter of Raven Darkholme."

"Wait, who?" Bobby asked confused by the name.

"Mystique," Logan grounded out distastefully.

--

He watched her. He made certain that with every step he took she was close behind as they traveled down the sparkling city streets of New Orleans. He wasn't naïve, or childish or anything like that. He was just doing what he always does. Pretends to be someone he isn't. He pretends that he's carefree and that he doesn't care about the consequences his actions may or may not cause. But he does, especially now as they transverse the distance between the city streets of New Orleans to his family home. He might feel attachment to Rogue, hell he might feel more than just attachment. But when she picked up that phone and called Belladonna and convinced her in a matter of minutes to lift his banishment so he could be kept safe. He knew that Rogue wasn't a woman you should romantically entangle with unless you could keep up with her. That is unless you were ready to spend the rest of you life looking over your shoulder.

So he knew a handful of things about her that no one at Xavier's knew about. That didn't mean he was going to go run off with her to some unknown location.

But he had, hadn't he?

He shook the thought off and concentrated on weaving his way through the crowd of people. He mulled over the information he knew about her.

She was from Texas, a native to the South like himself. She told everyone she's from Mississippi. He could see why. The dialects were fairly similar. Mississippi history isn't that hard to remember if you've ever read a history book in High School.

She was much older than her suggested eighteen years of age. Early twenties would be his guess. She's too filled out to still be a teenager.

Her parents are dead and gone. Her siblings are probably long forgotten and now living with relatives. She probably doesn't even keep close tabs on them like he does Henri and Mercy.

She was adopted by Mystique. To young and scared to care what that might mean for her, for her future. Another thing they have in common, another thing that ties them together. Parents that use them for their own personal gain while pretending to love and care for them. An old song he's listened to for over thirty years now.

She's killed. More than once and will do it again if she has to. Again another connection they share another story that sounds too similar for his taste. A woman that knows what it's like to lose control, to have someone take that control from you and use it to hurt the ones you love. He's beginning to hate where this is going.

Then there's her mutation. It's strong and wild just like his. Always evolving, changing to fit the circumstances. She's his match in every way possible. It causes him to involuntarily shiver.

No one should be able to feel the pain he's felt, feel the betrayal every time he meets someone new. Know that some how, some way they'll end up hurting you like you were nothing to begin with.

She knows and that's what scares him. She knows what to expect and doesn't dare judge him by it. She knows.

"I didn't tell them," she whispers to him as they stop for a moment under an umbrella. It's starting to rain, a faint mist that's coating them in tiny little drops.

"Tell who what?" He asks looking out over the crowd. It's dark out but he's still wearing his trademark sunglasses, trench coat wrapped tight around him as he fingers the tips of his cards.

"Your family, I didn't tell them we were coming," she admits and I feel slightly relieved. It explains why weren't not being followed.

"That's good to know _Chere_. Remy always liked surprises," He says with his normal cheek.

She doesn't say anything else. She's scanning the area around us just like he is. Good girl.

We rush out again into the fading night as we scurry back towards the slowly winding street. With the rain the streets are clearly as people go inside nearby restaurants for cover. We don't say anything as we tighten our coats and begin walking the next four blocks to my Father's home. There isn't that much left to say.

--

"This isn't her," Bobby states firmly as they look over the information they've collected on her. They've called all of their contacts. Even the ones they had hoped to never speak to again.

"But it is," Kitty responds in her lithe voice as she goes over the pictures and government documents.

"She's been working for about every branch of government in both the Canadian and U.S. departments. She's a lot more skilled than she's ever let on," Hank comments as he flips through a file. Being the Secretary of Mutant Affairs has its plus every now and again.

"Why would she keep all of this from us?" Bobby asks with a depressed voice that reminds him of the woman he thought he knew, thought he had loved at one time. A woman he didn't even know at all.

"Sometimes kid when you want to start over the last thing you want is for everyone to know that you were a hit man for the government," Logan let out as he flipped through his own folder. The information vague or inconclusive as to what exactly Rogue had been doing before she joined the X-Men.

"So are you saying she's turn coats on the Government?" Bobby asks from his seat. Hopeful and naïve blue eyes staring at Logan as if by some way he can make this all right. That he can by some way clarify this entire mess. Because what would that mean if they lost another friend to the other side.

"I don't know kid. From these reports she's been pretty inactive for about three almost four years now. But to the Government that doesn't mean shit. If they want to use you, they drop by unannounced when ever it suites them and they won't leave until the get what they want," Logan said to the group as the few memories he had resurfaced.

"I guess they dropped by then," Kitty quipped which caused Logan to huff.

--

I stood in front of the door. My hand hovered over the wooden entrance as if I was expecting myself to wake up from some dream. I couldn't believe I was here with Rogue about to walk in to the only home I ever truly knew. I couldn't breath, couldn't move. I just wanted to savor the moment, the last moment I would ever have here.

"Go on Gambit, it won't be the end of the world if you knock on the door," She laughs as I turn to give her a mocking look. She understands though or she wouldn't have made the suggestion of the end of the world. Because we both know to me it practically is.

I knock on the door. The sound of my knock is almost silenced by the heavy rain that now falls behind us. I can barely hear it myself. I hold my breath praying that this isn't a dream and that reality has finally bestowed upon me something worth cherishing. This moment is one of the happiest I've had in a long while.

"_I am coming!"_ I hear being yelled behind the door as the muffled sound of running feet is heard.

Rogue takes my hand in her covered one. I tighten it beneath my own. Even without my empathy I figure she can feel my anxiety in the space between us. It's been twelve years since I've seen any of them face to face. Letters e-mails and phone calls are a weekly occurrence. But being back in their presence is a gift I never expected to ever occur again.

The door is being unlocked and we both in preparation straighten our backs. My hand holds onto hers in a deathly grip but she doesn't struggle or pull back. She doesn't even make a noise. She just looks straight ahead as if we do this all the time. I want to thank her, but can't. I am too caught up in the moment as the door is being swung open. I know who it is before they can even register who I am.

Lapin my foolish second cousin stares at Rogue for a whole second before his eyes drift over to land on me. I watch as his murky brown eyes go wide as he realizes that I am not a figment of his imagination. He doesn't say anything, to shocked I am sure, he just stares. After a few minutes of staring at one another, not saying anything Rogue interrupts.

"Not to be rude sugar but it's raining out side."

My cousin's attention turns from me to Rogue as if only by force. He stares at her as if she's an alien from another planet as his eyes rove over her, landing on our clasped hands. I take a step in front of her, my careless expression now planted on my features.

"Lapin if your _mere_ ever saw you keeping a lady at the front door she would whoop you good," I tell him with a smile that has him returning it in seconds.

"So this is real?" Lapin asks and I can only nod before he's bringing me into a hug that I quickly return. He grabs me by my jacket and all but drags me in. Rogue's hand is still in mine and her body is pulled in right after me.

"Jean-Luc! Tante! Henri! Everyone!" Lapin screams at the top of his lungs.

The trotting of feet against the polished hardwood floors is heard like a thunder as every thief in the house come's calling to Lapin's cries. Rogue releases my hand and I immediately miss the warmth of it. But I try not to dwell on it to long. I reach to take her the bags she holding on her and her coat. I am surprised when she doesn't fight me. She normally would.

I hang up her bags, now aware of the audience we have gathered in the foyer. I act very nonchalant as I remove my own coat and place it on the coat rack next to Rogue's. I am acting as if I do this all the time and I can see from the corner of my eye that this amuses Rogue to no-end.

"Remy?" I hear my Tante say first. I turn to look at her, doing my best to hide my smile at her disbelieving expression.

"_Oui Tante_?" I ask her as I feel Rogue take a step behind me. I know she's trying to preserve this moment for me.

"Is it really you?" She asks, her old hands shaking from the exertion of old age.

"_Oui Tante_ it really is me," I say to her as she pulls me into a hug and begin to kiss the side of my face as she used to do when I was a child. I normally would fuss and try to pull away. But not today, today I am so wrapped up in the moment and so grateful that I don't mind anymore.

The rest of the family embarks on the same mission as my Tante did and begins to hug me and hold on to me as if I will disappear again at any moment. It hurts to know that they've loved me this much and that I can't do anything to recuperate that love anymore.

My family releases me as my Father approaches me with the same look of indifference he had on the day that I was banished. It's the same look he always wore around his children.

"_Bonjour fils," _He says to me, not even approaching me.

"_Père_," I reply with the same indifference.

"Come to my office _fils_," He says to me and motions for me to follow. I look down at Rogue who nods her head. She's not leaving me. Not even in the presence of my Father.

I begin to follow my Father, Rogue begins as well. My Father stops and turns to look at her.

"I meant alone," Jean-Luc tells Rogue who only looks at him with disdain. She's not used to being dismissed by someone who isn't aware of her stature.

"Where ever this Cajun goes, I go," She states as she cocks her hip out to the side, her thumb pointing towards me.

"I don't think that will be necessary. Remy is a big boy now, a chaperon really isn't needed," Jean-Luc states and my eyes go wide at his obvious turn off towards Rogue.

"He really doesn't have a choice. When Gambit is here he'll be in my presence at all times," Rogue explained to Jean-Luc. I could only raise an eyebrow at her brashness towards my Father, the King of Thieves.

"Oh?" Jean-Luc turns from Rogue to look at me for confirmation.

"Let's just say," I begin as I look down at Rogue, "she's my Parole Officer."

Rogue smirks at my pun and tries her best not to laugh.

"Parole Officer?" Jean-Luc questions with a raised eyebrow. I turn to look at Rogue who looks like the cat who got the cream.

"Yes, something like that," She replies and that was the end of the conversation.

**A/N: Yeah…I am leaving it there. Not nearly as awesome or action packed as previous chapters. But I refuse to write well when AiRo25 has updated a single story in nearly a month. I mean it's ridiculous! I hate waiting. Anyways, hopefully I can get another chapter up by next week. Thanks again for reading and please review…it keeps me sane :D **


	12. I Remember When

**A/N: I just wanted to thank you all for the wonderful reviews. This is my first story to ever reach over 100 reviews. So I just wanted to thank you and hope that you keep up the good work. Because I know I will. **

**Chapter 12: I Remember When**

I am watching them with rapt attention as they go back and forth with one another. Remy calmly explains our situation in a nutshell. We live at Xavier's School for the Gifted, a few people from Remy's past decided to drop in. To protect the school we, the headmistress and us, decided that it would be best to leave the school until the situation had cooled down. I called in a few favors and thought it would be a great treat for Remy to come home for some of the holidays. And no we are not sleeping with one another. Jean-Luc on the other hand questioned us relentlessly seeing if there was any loop holes in our stories. How do I know the Assassins? I've been around the block a few times. One eventually will run into one now and again. How does an Assassin come to owe me a favor? That's a tricky question and I avoided it carefully with a "_that's for me to know and for you to never find out."_ Are you a mutant as well? Of course why else would I willing allow this Cajun to live within a three mile radius of me? What are your mutant powers? I kill people with a single touch. Who's after you? The Government. How long do you all plan on staying? We plan to stay until the situation is resolved or at least until the Assassin's hospitality runs out. The questions continued like this until Jean-Luc felt some what satisfied with our reasons for staying. Always, the careful man as I remembered from jobs come and gone.

"And Remy is not under any circumstances allowed to do any jobs. He is strictly here on holiday," I threw in before we adjourned or little question and answer session.

"Again _petite_ that is Remy to decide no?" Jean-Luc asked with a shit-eating grin that I couldn't help but deflate. I shook my head.

"No _papa_ _Chere's_ right Remy is off the market for a while. It's per her agreement with Bella. Remy can't do anything really unless _Chere_ is there or is at least aware of the situation," Remy confirmed and all his father could do was nod his head rather slowly at the information.

"Well it's good to have you home nevertheless."

And all I could hear was the disappointment.

--

They were all in the lounge going over document after document trying to put the pieces together. Bobby chewed on the end of his pen as he took notes and connected dots. Kitty twirled her own between her fingers as she scanned through computer files, the story of Rogue thickening with each new page. Hank pulled up a dry erase board in the room. With a blue dry erase marker he began to list dates and events in chronological order. Years it seemed had been missed and all they knew was what they had been told and what was left in the few files they had found. Ororo and Logan stood off to the side and watched as the famous X-Men tore apart the life of one of their own.

"This isn't right," Ororo commented as she watched her Team work diligently through the day.

"You're right it isn't," Logan replied which caused Storm to turn to look at him, "but we have to know our team. Rogue's little involvement with the Government won't just come back and bite her in the ass it'll come back for all of us. Or don't you remember what happened the last time the Government tried to get involved here?"

Ororo looked away but nodded her head. She might not like snooping in someone else's privacy but if her team was in danger, well she wasn't one to argue. It was while they were going over the information gathered on Rogue that a new figure walked into the room. At first no one questioned Jubilee being in the lounge area of the school. The girl practically lived there due to her current roommates love for loud hate filled music. It was when the hackles on Logan and Hank's necks began to tingle and stand that the room grew quite and on the defense. All eyes immediately went to Jubilee. Whose normally light hearted smile turned wicked and a tad bit too familiar for all of their tastes.

"Well hello there," the voice said to deep to be Jubilee's.

"What do you want?" Logan asked as long, metallic claws slowly inched there way from between his knuckles.

"I've come to give you some help," the voice replied as it slowly began to twist and fade into something-someone else.

"We don't need help from you," Logan responded as the person finished the change from short dark haired Asian to a tall red-headed blue woman. She smiled her smile at him as she looked at the board Hank had been writing on.

"Apparently you do."

--

She was flawless in her movements as she moved around the room. She didn't miss a beat or a step as she maneuvered through the bodies. It was astounding to watch her as she did so. In all of my years I had never been able to do so myself.

"Remy _chil _where on earth did you find this girl?" my Tante asks me as Rogue continues to wash and put away dishes from dinner.

"At a school," I reply barely paying any attention. I am so captivated by her I don't realize who I am around. It's when I can start hearing the room fill with my family's laughter that I am pulled back into the now.

"I really can't believe they let you teach children," Mercy my sister-in-law quips as she drinks some real Southern ice tea. Just like Rogue missed from our first real conversation.

"It's amazing what the school system allows now a day," Rogue replies as she moves to take a seat next to me. I pour her a glass of that home brewed ice tea and she takes it without question. Something she normally would have. It was then that I realize she has been playing the part in front of my family. She's been from the moment we stepped foot into my family home. It makes me wonder what else she's been doing without letting me in on.

"Makes you question what type of folk allows a master thief to teacher their children," Mercy laughs out and Rogue laughs with her. I can see what she's doing. She's making friends, reassuring them that I am safe and taken care of. She's making sure they won't worry when we finally leave here and go back to reality. I am very grateful for her in this moment.

"Oh all types of people. But most of our kids are orphaned or are runaways and have no where else to go. The foster system can be a nasty place for kids who are like us. We give them the chance at what you call a normal life could give them. They are educated and given the opportunity to go to college at no expense to themselves. And if they really want after college they can come back and teach at the school. Four of our current teachers were past students with us. You might have heard of the Secretary of Mutant Affairs Dr. Hank McCoy?" She paused to see them nod. "He was a student with Xavier's for many years after his mutation set in. He graduated with honors and is of course now part of the presidential cabinet. He is also our on call doctor and he comes to Xavier's twice during the week to teach science and is here on the weekends to tutor and do medical check-ups. And of course there was Xavier himself and we all know what he has done for us and our kind over the last decade."

I looked at her as did my family. The way she talked was more than aspiring. She really believed in Xavier's dream. She believed that she could have a second chance just like everyone else. Even after all of the crap she's been through-still going through-she still believes that one day everything will be okay. And I hoped that one day I could be like that and believe that, that will happen. I didn't even have the heart to tell her that people like her and me, we don't get second chances. We just live the life we were dealt with and deal with it accordingly. That's the only way we can survive. But I just didn't have it in me to ruin her one and only dream she had left.

"So you're saying that our Remy is going to be a President someday?" Lapin my cousin asks that ruthful way on a LeBeau son can pull off. We all ended up laughing at that. Me? President of the United States, they'll hang me first I am sure.

--

"So she's really you're kid?" Logan asks as he stares down at his should be nemesis.

"Yes," Raven Darkholme replies simple as she looks at the board in front of her.

"I don't see any family resemblance," Bobby comments as he stares hard at the woman who he knew betrayed and tried to kill the woman he had once-still loves. Raven turned to him, fist tucked under her chin, as she slowly shifted into a perfect replica of Rogue's biological mother. She decided in that moment that keeping Rogue's true heritage was probably both in their best interests. If she has to ruin her daughter she might as well make the transition as easy as possible.

"Better?" Raven asks as Bobby's eyes grow wide with disbelief and then change to disappointment. "If it makes you feel any better Rogue isn't my only child who doesn't look a thing like me."

"There are more of you?" Logan asks her in completed disbelief.

"Only two more and Rogue is the only know knows me. My sons don't know I am their Mother," Raven says with an almost longing in her voice. As if her children are her biggest regrets in her life.

"Anyone we know?" Hank asks clearly scientific as he tries to piece together some of the dots.

"In a way you know both of them. But they are not aware of each other and I would like to keep it that way. My children are happy Mr. McCoy and dragging up old wounds will do nothing for them if not hurt them more," Raven clarified for all of the X-Men to hear. Her children were not to be meddled with or looked into.

"Of course," Ororo answered for the group as she motioned for Mystique to continue her dissection of her daughter's life.

"No you've got this all wrong," Raven said as she erased half the board and picked up the blue marker and began to make her adjustments. "She was born in Texas not Mississippi and she didn't join with us until she was sixteen which by the way was in nineteen eighty three. Making her much older than what any of you ever thought of her. I'll have to give her an A on that one though. She was always good at hiding who she really was."

"A trait I believe she must have picked up from you," Logan commented as Raven continued to scribble away at the board adding notes of events that had been taken place over the years.

"No, she picked that one up all on her own unfortunately. So many people in that head of hers, she only had to pick one up that was the right age and attitude she wanted. Shy, young girls are normally looked over in a crowd and that's exactly what she wanted. Make no mistake Wolverine; my daughter doesn't do anything without proper foresight," Mystique reminded as she picked up where she left off.

"I have a question though," Kitty broke in as she lowered the lid to her laptop. "Why did you kidnap Rogue and try to kill her?"

Raven stopped and turned to look at her. She cocked her head to the side and stared at Kitty as if for the first time she had even registered her existence. Raven smiled sadly before responding.

"I never kidnapped her, she came willingly. Rogue has lived with her mutation for a very long time," Raven paused as if to collect her self before continuing. "Did you know when a baby is born they have to have physical affection. They need it like food or water. If they don't get enough physical affection they die. Rogue hasn't had physical anything in just over ten years now. Death is her only escape. So when Magneto came up with his brilliant plan to help mutant kind, Rogue jumped on board the moment she was asked. It was the kind of death she always wanted. It was a death to help people, to help someone instead of always hurting them. But then she met all of you and she felt, I don't know what she felt." Raven paused again this time to actually hold back tears that threatened to spill over. Her heart breaking as she told her daughters secrets to the world.

"I came to the school pretending to be a boy I knew she had met in class," she smiled at the memory, "she called me to tell me all about it. Said he was a nice, good boy. Someone her father would have been proud of."

Bobby straightened his back a little at Raven's omission. He had no idea that Rogue had ever felt that way about him before. No one knew she felt that way about anyone.

"Anyways, I came to the school to talk to her about it. I tried to persuade her to not go through with it. I told her if she wanted to be left alone at the school to grow up how she wanted, then she could. I would have told her anything if it would have meant she wouldn't go through with what Magneto wanted her to do. But she said boys will come and go, so will friends. But the people in her head, they won't ever leave. She just wanted it to be quite and to be free," Raven let the tears fall as she remembered her conversation with the woman she had chosen as a daughter years ago. "So I told her if it was what she wanted we would do it and if she wanted to back out all she needed to do was tell me. She said she was fine with her decision."

"That's not how it happened once we got on to that Statue, I remember her screaming, crying for it all to stop," Logan stated as his hands clenched together at what Raven was telling him.

"She wanted the voices to stop, not Magneto. She's killed so many people and they all live the rest of their days within her, always following her around. The guilt alone ate her up. I tried to stop you; I tried to make you see what you were doing. I tried to make you see what you were prolonging," Raven defended with a wave of her blue hand.

"You led your only daughter to her death and did nothing to stop her," Logan countered his own anger flaring at the life that didn't want saving in the first place.

"And would you Logan? Would you stop her if she asked you to kill her? If Rogue asked you to make all the pains go away, would you?" Raven asked with eyes that spoke truth with tears to match. Logan didn't answer her. He just stared at her; he didn't need to answer her. Everyone in that room knew the truth. If Rogue asked him, he would do it. He had done it before to another person he considered his friend. Why would Rogue be anymore different, a person he cared for more than anyone else?

"I tried calling her afterwards, after you practically killed your self to save her. Another person forever locked within her. She wouldn't talk to me. She said if she was going to live this life of hers she going to do it her own way. She didn't want to be apart of anything bigger than her self. No more Government favors or help with world domination. She was done. She just wanted to be left alone," Raven explained as she shrugged her shoulders. She tossed the marker onto the coffee table next to Bobby. Everyone in the room seemed transfixed by that marker, as if they had finally gotten exactly what they wanted and they hated themselves for it.

"Will she come back?" Ororo asks Raven still not looking up from the marker in front of them.

"If she lives through this again then I don't see why she wouldn't. She loves it here, loves the school and the dream, the whole nine yards. I don't see why she wouldn't return. Just when she does make sure she doesn't know that you know all of this. If she had wanted you to know she would have said something already," Raven recommended before changing into something more presentable for the human world and slipping out of the room before anyone could say otherwise.

--

"Remy I really don't think going to a club tonight is a really good idea," She said to me in a hesitant voice. I could see the mounting fear in her eyes at the idea of being in a crowded room with so many people.

"Oh come on _chere_ it'll be fun, Remy promises," I tell her with a cooing voice as if by some mystical reason this will convince her to come with me and the boys for some midnight fun. She looks at me as if deciding that maybe this isn't such a bad idea.

"Alright, but your cousin is driving," she tells me and I can't help but smile.

"_Bon Cherie, bon_."

**A/N: Alrighty another chapter down. Only a few more left. Next chapter is Remy and Rogue at a club. I wonder what will happen and what will be said…**


	13. Dancing Through the Lies

**A/N: Thank you all for the lovely reviews. This chapter will have a surprising twist to it. This question has been nagging me for sometime. Why Rogue really knows so much? I mean Mystique was never one to let someone in on all of her dastardly plans. So this chapter will give you more of an insight as to why Rogue really knows so much. I hope you enjoy. Oh and **_**italics **_**are memories just fyi.**

**Chapter 13: Dancing Through the Lies**

"_You promised me that I was free," I reminded slightly confused as to why I was here chained to a metal chair in some dark basement. _

"_For the most part you are. But I need a few favors from you," the man I had come to fear and hate spoke to me as if we were old friends. I despised him more in that moment than any other time before._

"_I don't owe you anymore favors Striker. My contracts up, has been for about a year and a half now," I quickly remind him again as I clench against the metal chains that are rapped tightly around my wrists. He stands there in front of me, hands clasps behind his back, a small smile gracing his aging features. He looks exactly the same except for a few minor details. He's no longer wearing his military garb; the government wouldn't want to be responsible for him if someone ever found out about their dirty little secret they shared together. Then of course he's about ten years old and let me tell you, you sure can tell. The aging lines of maturity didn't pass this guy by for anything. I guess that's the world's punishment for sick bastards like retired General William S. Striker. _

"_I would hate to imagine what your new friends would think if they ever found out about your close involvement with the Weapon X Project. Especially, since you've decided to become so close to one of my greatest works," He tells me in a way that seems only as a slight comment but really underneath is a threat unlike any other. _

"_No," I say head held high, "I don't think they would be to keen to know about our…special relationship."_

"_You were always such a smart girl Rogue. I am glad to know that joining the X-Men hasn't done anything to damaging that," Striker stated to me as he began to pace across the room. A habit he's always done in the years that I've known him. _

"_What do you need me to do for you now?" I asked hoping it wasn't something that would bury me further into whatever Striker had cooked up next. _

"_Exactly what you've been doing," He tells me not stopping to look at me; his eyes are concentrated on the cement floor below him. "I want you to continue to live at Xavier's and I want you to gather as much information that you can on them and send it directly to me."_

"_What? You can't be serious? Xavier is a freaking telepath I won't make it two minutes before he figures out what I am up to!" I tell him as I once again strain against the metal chains that bind me to the chair. I wished at that moment I still had a heavy dose of Magneto running through my head. I doubt I would still even be in that room. _

"_You underestimate your self," Strike tells me and I look at him as I had many times before, as if he's completely lost his mind. "Xavier can't read your mind. He can't read yours or my favorite little pet's either. Your minds are too jumbled and confused. He can't sort out what are your memories and what is someone else's. And since you've have absorbed so much of Wolverine's mind in the last year it'll be no wonder that you know so much about me."_

_I looked at William Striker in shock. The man had thought of everything apparently. He even knew that Professor Charles Xavier was a mutant telepath. Not many humans new that about him. It was a piece of knowledge that I intended to keep in the back of my mind for further investigation. Because if William Striker knew Xavier was a mutant than you sure as hell knew that the rest of the United States Government knew as well. _

"_I can't… I won't do it," I tell him as I begin to really struggle against my restraints. I am trying in vain to escape before I become anymore entrapped in whatever Striker has up his white pressed sleeves. _

"_You really don't have a choice in the matter."_

"Rogue you all right?" A familiar voice asks me as I am slowly pulled out of my slumber. Red on Black eyes stares back at me in concern. I shake the last of my memory away as I smiled up at him.

"Just fine Swamp Rat," I answer him before moving to sit up. Remy moves backwards to give me space to rearrange my self, however he still carried a worried looking expression on his face.

"You didn't feel fine," he replies and I look at him in confusion. How does Remy LeBeau feel what I am feeling? A slip in his wording maybe? I highly doubt it.

"What do you mean?" I ask him and I see only for a moment that look of panic that most people get when they've been found out about something. But it's gone before I can truly capture and hold on to it.

"Nothing _Chere_ Remy meant to say you didn't sound fine. You were talking in your sleep. But you need to hurry up if we be going to the club tonight, _no?_" he covers up quickly and I know he's lying now. I can see it in his eyes, his only tell. The red amber is burning like fire in a black abyss. It pulses and ebbs in the most tantalizing motion. I almost want to believe him then, but shake the feeling away. Remy LeBeau is hiding something and I have every intention of finding out what it is before it gets one of us killed.

--

I am sitting at the bar watching Remy dance the night away with another nameless blonde. I am starting to get the impression that Remy only likes blonde women. Why? I don't know. Why should I care? Again I don't know. He doesn't really know that much about me. He just knows the outline of my life, a few horrid details here and there but for the most part nothing that would give my hand away too early. I finish my whiskey sour and tap the bar for a second one. The bartender Sam, something or other, smiles politely before refilling it. I don't drink this one nearly as fast. My eyes flicker up towards the dance floor where another nameless woman is slithering her self all over Remy like he's God's gift to woman kind everywhere. She's a blonde of course. I snort in disgust as I take a deep drink of my burning whiskey.

I decide then and there that making my self miserable watching Gambit touch, be with, another woman isn't worth my time. He isn't mine to control or mine to do anything with. Like he said I am his _parole officer_ here to serve until the job's done. Then I am out on the curb and back to my old life. Because I am pretty sure once this job's done we're not going to go off running into the sunset together.

I make sure that my eyes stay directly down onto my amber drink. I allow the colors of red-brown and the slightest hint of gold to consume my concentration. I allow myself this moment of reflection.

"_This all of it?" Striker asks me as I hand him over the files on all the mutant at Xavier's._

"_Of course it is," I respond hotly as I put my hands in my coat pockets, my green trench coat swinging around my ankles in the cold New York weather. A gift from the man in front of me after five years of dedicated service._

"_Your right you've never steered me wrong Rogue. I shouldn't be thinking you would be doing it now. Like I said before you're a smart girl," he said with a leer and a smile. _

"_So we're done right?" I asked him as I rocked back on my heels hoping that yes would be the answer and I could get the hell out of dodge. He looked up at me with that same leering smile. _

"_For now," he replied before tucking the documents tightly under his arm in a very military like fashion. "But you'll be seeing me soon enough." _

I pull myself out of the memory. Two weeks later the mansion was raided by Strikers men. Jean Grey died the first time shortly after and the series of events that has come to overshadow the X-Men began. And it was my entire fault. I gave Striker the information on Xavier and his students. I gave him the information of the layout of the school. Later I would learn he said Magneto had given it to him. I knew better though of course. He was protecting his source. I mean what good was I to him if they all knew about me?

I finished off my drink and motioned for Sam to pour me another. He did quickly and efficiently before heading off to fill a red heads drink down the way from me. I watched as the red head leaned over the bar seductively allowing Sam a good look at what she had to offer if he played his cards right. I wanted to tell her Sam had no intentions of going home with her tonight. Because I know that a man wearing a wedding band in this bar had no intentions of doing anything with any woman what so ever. But that's beside the point and is completely distracting me from my own melancholy. I slug another deep drink down and taste the alcohol on my tongue as I fade inward into myself again.

"_We have a new assignment for you."_

"_And I told you like I told your dead boss, I am not for hire anymore," I seethed into the phone in one of the main hallways of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. It was only a month after the mutant battle and Xavier's death but it seemed everyone was still tip toeing around here like the Apocalypse was coming. _

"_I really don't think you have a choice in the matter or have you forgotten. We own you Rogue. You made a deal with us. We let you live and you do what we say when we say it. Or have you completely forgotten why you were put into your situation in the first place?" The man on the other end of the line spoke to me in such a way it made me close my eyes and hold the pain in. Of course I remember why I was part of the Weapon X Program. How could I ever forget?_

"_What do you want me to do?" I ask him and the hard, cold sound of his laughter filtered through me like the needle on death row. It was quick and effective and completely to the point._

"_We've heard a rumor that a few of your predecessors have decided to join up with your new team. Until further notice we want you to make sure nothing happens to them. Your objective Rogue is to protect retired Weapon X members," the man said with authority he had never truly held before. _

"_Is that all Agent Zero?" I ask looking around my location, making sure no one had been listening in to my conversation. _

"_For now that's all I've been given to direct you with," Agent Zero explained to me and I let out a shuddered sigh. _

"_How much longer do you think we have before they decide to come looking for us too?" I ask him, my fellow Weapon X team member. He lets out another one of his creepy melodramatic laughs._

"_They've already found us kid. It's why we're still alive."_

"Hey _Chere_ you want to dance?" Gambit asks me and I am once again pulled out of my revere and back into the present. I look up at him; sweat from dancing has caused the ends of his hair to get wet and to stick to the sides of his face. It's rather inviting as his eyes glow against the dark back ground of the room.

"Not on your life Swamp Rat," I tell him hotly before turning back to my drink. Again I finish it off quickly and slam the empty glass on the counter top. I notice Gambit's eyes watching me like he was early today after my little nap. No true sleep for the wicked that's for sure.

"Awe come on _Chere._ It's not like it would be the end of the world or anything. Trust Remy he promises nothing terrible will happen to you," Gambit tells me with that charming smile of his. I don't say anything as Sam brings me another drink; I tilt it up to him with a smile before drinking the entire thing down in one gulp. I wave at Sam again and he quickly fills my drink. "You drinking for fun or for forgetting _Chere_?"

I turn to look at him, glass in my gloved hand and stare at him pointedly. We're getting to close. We're becoming something akin to friends and people like me don't have friends. And once he's found out what I've done and what I am going to do he won't want anything to do with me. It'll be better in the end for both of us if I just cut off the emotional strings right now.

"You don't know a damn thing about me Swamp Rat. And this half ass charade we're pulling isn't going to change that either," I strike out at him like a cobra to her prey. I can see the momentary hurt that crosses his features. But I can't stop now, I am on a path to damnation and I refuse to take anyone down with me.

"Just one dance _Chere _and Remy leave you alone," he tells me in a whisper that causes me to back off my attack on him. My eyes lock on his and once again I am sent into a tantalizing field of different emotions. The red pulses and burns into me as it seems to literally get beneath my skin. He swings a hand out graciously waiting for me to accept his offer. I hesitate only for a moment before taking the offered hand.

--

I pull her close to me, her body heat washing over me in a sensation that is familiar yet foreign all at the same time. I can smell the faint sent of Apple's on her skin and sun in her hair. It reminds me of better summer days. I pull her closer to the dance floor our bodies already swaying to the music as we search for a pattern that fits us the best. It doesn't take long and soon we're in the center of the dance floor swaying to the music like it's in our very souls.

I turn her around so I am behind her, my breath is warm and hot on her neck. My lips are only inches from her ear as I begin to whisper my questions to her.

"Who are you _Chere_?" I ask her as she begins to slither over me.

"I am Rogue," she answers directly and I can feel my body begin to respond to her as I follow her lead on the floor.

"Who are you really?" I continue to ask curious as to who she really is. I am still bothered by the fact that after all this time we've spent together I still don't know a thing about her.

"I am the end," She replies and I twist her around so we're facing one another. Our eyes lock and this time I feel as if it is me that's being bewitched by her sparkling green-gold eyes.

"Why do you like blondes?" She asks me as I twirl her around in a familiar swing movement that we've practiced at time or two before but for an entirely different reason. As I pull her back, her body is flush against mine as I answer her.

"Because they remind me that they're not you," I reply our faces only inches apart from one another. Her eyes lids drop low as the moment we share transpires across us. My hands are still grasping her arms tightly as we look at one another. My eyes drop down to her lips, those deadly scarlet covered lips. Without forethought my head begins to lower and Rogue's begins in response to the moment tilts up towards me.

I take that as an invitation and kiss her with everything I have in me. It's not sweet and it's not pretty, but it's real and everything it was ever supposed to be. I begin to work my lips against hers using my tongue to pry open those scarlet painted lips of hers to allow me access. I am surprised to find that she doesn't even hesitate, she just follows my lead. It's when my hands start to have a mind of their own and begin to roam her body that I force my self to stop.

"Wonna take this somewhere a little more private _Chere_?" I ask her in a husk filled voice and all she seems able to do is nod her head in acceptance. Before I can even give her a chance to resend my invitation I am pulling her out of the club and into the hot Louisiana night.

**A/N: Yep I am going to leave it there… if you review I'll update ASAP. But only if your nice and review. **


	14. The Truth about Lies

**A/N: Look at me updating regularly! I should get a freaking medal or something lol. I will however continue to take reviews. Anyways, thank you so much for all of your reviews. Again I have to say they are more than aspiring. Also, if you haven't already caught it, Remy touched Rogue and Rogue is the cause of all this mayhem… inadvertently of course. :D **

**-Also, again _italics_ are for memories. **

**WARNING IF YOU ARE NOT OVER THE AGE OF 17 I REALLY DON'T RECOMMEND YOU READING THIS CHAPTER. HIGH SEXUAL CONTENT.**

**Chapter 14: The Truth about Lies**

"_It's a little early for phone calls," I whisper into the phone as I begin to unpack my bags in the extravagant room given to me by Remy's family. We've only just been released from Remy's father's office. It's nearly three in the morning. Too early for anyone living in the normal world to be receiving blocked phone calls._

"_Time is irrelevant to people like you and me Rogue," Agent Zero stated in his clipped no nonsense kind of way. _

"_What do you want? I am doing exactly what you said. I am watching them, heck I am even living with one of them," I reply back knowing it was only a half truth._

"_Tsk, tsk Rogue. Lying to me will only get you killed in the end. We both know that you're doing is much more than just simply watching out for your charges," he said to me with that all knowing tone of his. I held back a breath afraid that I might say something that will get both Remy and I killed. "We know you're running, hiding him so the bosses can't get to him. But you see you've forgotten, we have eyes everywhere and we know exactly where you are. New Orleans is a very beautiful city this time of the year."_

_I don't say anything at his omission again to afraid I might say something I might regret. So I keep silent and let Agent Zero do all the talking. He's always been very good at that. _

"_Nevertheless that's not why I called. I called to let you know that your objective has changed," he tells me and I finally allow myself the chance to breath._

"_To what?" I ask him, trying to think of what they could possibly want me to do next. But as I felt the smile come across the line between us I knew exactly what Agent Zero had in mind for me. _

"_Rogue your new objective is to kill the mutant named Gambit."_

--

We were falling together in a heap of arms and legs into my bed back at the LeBeau Mansion. The buzz from the night's events blurring our memories and the passion pushing our adrenaline to a whole new level of excitement. She was death and I was danger and together we formed a concoction so toxic I thought we would die before coming up for air. My hands glided over her form taking in every angle and every curve. Her breath hitches and moans out as I do so. So long she has been without physical contact that each moment that I touch her skin I feel… _electricity_.

I pull off her green silk top and expose her milky white breasts tucked tightly into a black lace bra. I run my lightly down between them, memorizing the way they strain against the black material with every breath she takes. I can't help it as I devour her form with my eyes.

"_Remy_…," She whispers to me. My name sounds like honey as it slips between her lips. I shiver from the sound. "_Remy."_

"_Oui mon Chere_?" I ask her as I remove my own black collared shirt. My hands immediately latch onto her skin once again, marveling at its pureness.

"I lied."

The confession makes me hesitate. I release my hold on her and stop my attack on her body. Our eyes connect and I can see she isn't completely herself. Her mind is jumbled and confused. She is way past drunk. I sigh to myself knowing that what I want to do to her will probably ruin everything we've built together. This little friendship between us is probably more than I could ever ask from her.

"About?" I ask her moving my body to lie down next to hers. Both of our torsos are still exposed, allowing me the perfect visual of her smooth, flat skin.

"I am not who you think I am," she confesses to me as a single tear falls down the side of her face. With the pad of my thumb I whip it way, this is only the second time I have ever seen the fearless Rogue so vulnerable, so exposed to the world.

"You're everything I think you are," I reply to her softly feeling her emotions pulling on my own as the slowly become mine. The side effects of my second mutation have both its pluses and it negatives. She turns her body to face my own, her hands tucked underneath her in such an innocent way. It makes me feel like I am in the presence of a different woman, one that would have been if life had dealt Rogue a different set of cards.

"I like you, you know," she continues to confess to me and I raise an eyebrow to her. I like her too more than she'll probably ever really like me. "I think you're a good person. You're real to me; you don't lie like I've been lying to you."

At this point in her dialogue I feel as if my world is closing in on me. As if for some reason she's telling me this in her drunken state because she can't tell me otherwise. It gives me a sense of pure dread. Why? I am not sure. It's not like we're together in any other way besides team mates, maybe even friends on our good days. It's not like we love one another or anything.

"What are you saying _Chere_ you've been telling me everything remember?" I reminded her. She's been telling me the truth every since England. Well I think she has. I sometimes forget that this woman beside me has perfected the art of lying. She can do it flawlessly and even surpass the detection of two very knowledgeable lie detecting mutants. It's an art I wish I could have learned.

"Only half of it," She answers as another tear leaks down her check and lands on the crisp Egyptian cotton sheets. "And telling only half the truth is a lie too. Well that's what my Momma always used to say to me anyways."

"_Chere_ Remy has no idea what you're talking about," I tell her as her big green eyes still begin to glisten again with tears.

"I can touch," She tells me and I just smile at her before responding. "I kind of figured that out already _Chere."_

"I always have. You're the first person I've touched because I wanted you too not because I had to," She explains to me. The confusion is evident in my features I suppose because she begins again to explain.

"We met once you know," she tells me and my confused expression moves towards shock.

"I don't think so _Chere_ Remy would have remembered a pretty _fille_ like you," I tell her with a trade mark grin of mine. I am trying my best to mask my features, but against her it's practically useless.

"It was before my hair changed color, it was shorter too. I was the liaison between Mr. Essex and the military group he was working with. We only met for a short time. I was very young and you thought I was just another pet project for your boss. Another pretty mutant for him to play with," her words dug deep inside as I remembered my time with Mr. Sinister. I briefly flash back to the metal tables and the never ending amounts of needles that always seemed to find their way into my skin. _"Does it hurt?"_ He would ask me as I would scream in agony.

"You actually did hit on me. That is until I took it upon myself to knee you in the groin. You called me a bitch," She reminded me with a very off handed giggle. I tried to remember the situation, a beautiful, young woman kneeing me in the groin. Now on the whole that is something that I would normally remember.

"I am sorry _Chere_ I was around a bunch of different people then. I really wasn't in Sinister's services for very long anyways," I lie to her, deflecting questions was my own personal art. I am too afraid to let another person know my about all of my dirty laundry. I am too afraid to tell her incase she'll hate me for being a monster. There's a reason why I don't remember all the details of being Sinister's lap dog. And I hope to God she never finds out why.

"It's alright it was almost five years ago. I don't expect you to remember every single detail of your life," she admits and moves to press her body closer to mine. "I won't tell them about it Remy. I won't tell them about what happened with the Morlocks." I see her hesitate as if she's about to tell me more but decides not to. I feel my breath catch as I realize she knows more than she's telling me. I lay an encouraging hand on her waist and squeeze gently. I am hoping she'll continue with her story and divulge more information to me. Now aware that she's probably known everything about me from the moment I step foot on the School grounds. I close my eyes trying to think, to figure out how to escape her knowledge of me being so atrocious.

"I want you to touch me Remy," she confesses to me again. "I've lived half my life with people telling me who I can and cannot touch. I want you to be the first person I let touch me because I want them to."

I look at her with that same stupid confused expression. I am trying to determine if she's telling me the truth as I watch another few tears escape behind her eyelashes. I decide in the end that I would do what my gut told me to, it's never lead me astray before. But as I do so I realize that there will be a difference than before. Before all I wanted to do was touch her because I craved her, now I'll touch her to know the truth.

"As you wish _mon cherie_."

--

"You sure you're information is correct?" Hank asked for the third time.

"It's been confirmed they're in New Orleans at Remy's family's house. I hate to admit it but she is still involved with the Weapon X Program," Storm explained in clipped words as she and the rest of the X-Men loaded themselves up in the Blackbird.

"I think it's time to bring them home," Logan responded as he sat next to Storm at the controls a brief look is pasted between. The knowledge that the one person they've always counted on is a fraud weighs heavily on their shoulders.

"Yeah and have one hell of a long talk with Rogue," Bobby quips not realizing truth depths of the situation as the X-Men take off once again to face one of their own.

--

I lay underneath him, his body pressing against mine as we move together in a rhythmic motion. Our breaths hitch and small moans are released with each movement. I fell euphoric as waves of pleasure erupt inside of me. I have never in the entirety of my life felt as I do in this moment. I am completely and totally open to Remy, I allow myself to feel for the first time everything a man like him could offer me. And that realization breaks my heart.

"_Anne-Marie,"_ He whispers to me in my ear over and over again. It's the first time anyone has called me that in what feels like forever. And the way he says my name in that husky voice of his makes me quiver in anticipation every time.

I grip his tanned, muscular back, my nails digging into his skin as I latch onto the feeling of his skin beneath mine. My mind screams at me that this is wrong with each thrust, with each moan that we take. It is my objective to kill this man, this man that I am quickly and surely falling for. I am going to end the life he has worked so hard to create for himself so that I can finally be free from the oppression set upon me by stronger men. I hate myself as I let tears fall down the sides of my face. My mouth hung open as I am rocked with yet another wave of unexplainable pleasure.

"_Ann-Marie,"_ he says again and I know I can't do it; I can't take his life like I am obligated to do. But I know if I don't someone else will. Someone else who will make it hurt, who will make it more painful than it really needs to be.

"_Remy I am so sorry_," I whisper to him as I arch my back into him. My lips caressing the side of his ear as I do so. _"But it's the only way."_

"What's the only way _mon Chere_?" Gambit asks me as he moves to lean back on his knees pulling me with him. I lift myself up so I am sitting in his lap as I slowly rock my body into his.

"The person that you've been running from," I begin to tell him as I rock back and then forward again.

"Yeah?" He says more to himself than to me as his hands grip my waist and drags my body down onto him.

"It's me," I confess as I continue to roll my hips.

"You're what _Chere_?" He's so focused on me he hasn't really put the dots together as I wrap my arms around his neck and force him to look at me.

"I am the one whose after you Remy," I state rather seriously. He stops his movements in a jerky fashion and looks at me in that confused expression of his. He's panting hard as am I as he looks at me with such…_disbelief_. "My objective is to kill you."

He looks at me and then at our bodies still connected together. In that moment realization hits him and my heart seems to shatter into a million pieces. I am destroying something before it even has a chance to begin.

"What?" Remy asks me as his grip on my hips seems to loosen. I rock forward on him a little and his hands tighten on me immediately to hold me still.

"I work for the Weapon X Program," I began and then immediately correct, "Okay I don't work for them willingly but let's just say for my freedom killing you is my only option."

"I have a feeling you've done this a time or two before _Chere_," Remy says with an almost hurt voice as his grip on my hips tightens and his fingers began to dig deep into my unblemished skin.

"Have I ever killed anyone? We both know that I have. Have I ever killed someone like this? No, never," I reply with a shake of my head.

"Thanks Remy feels real special right about now _Chere_," Gambit replies to me in that same dissatisfied tone.

"I don't want to kill you Remy. That's why I am telling you all of this," I began to explain. I need him to know exactly what I am about to do so he won't come after me.

"_Chere_ you know you ruined an absolutely amazing moment right?" Gambit quips trying as he normally would to lighten up a rather dark situation.

"I know," I sigh out neither of us moving from our positions. "This will probably be the last time you see me."

"What? Why?" He asks me pulling me closer to him as if in any moment I will disappear.

"I have something they want. Since Strikers death I don't know who's been pulling the strings. I've been at the mansion the entire time. But I don't think it'll be too hard for me to find out who it is," I explain to him with a shrug.

"I won't let you do this," he says with his own sigh. He's gathered me up in his arms and moved to lay me down underneath him.

"You don't have a choice," I counter as his lips find mine again and we began to kiss one another. I can feel him inside of me as we began another round of slow passionate sex. This time he never takes his eyes off of mine.

"We always have a choice Anne-Marie. We'll think of something tomorrow and work out a plan," he reassures me as my breath hitches as I re-anchor myself onto him. He hisses out in pleasure as I bring his body closer to mine.

"I won't let them hurt you Remy," I whimper out as Gambit pushs himself deeper inside of me.

"Ain't no one going to hurt this Cajun _Cherie."_

And sadly I don't believe him.

--

We raced up the stairway to the entrance of the overly decorated home of one Remy LeBeau. The X-Men stood proudly in their uniforms as they moved to take out one of their own. Storm moved in first and knocked on the familiar door of her friend's home. It didn't take long for someone to answer.

"Storm?" Henri LeBeau spoke out to the goddess like woman in front of him. His face masked a veil of confusion.

"Hello Henri," she smiled as Henri peered around her to look at her entourage. When he looked back at her his eyebrow was raised in question. "Is Remy home?" She asked him in the polite way one would ask if the mail had arrived yesterday. However Henri LeBeau new better than that.

"_Oui_ but he's a bit preoccupied at the moment," he replied as his eyes once again drifted over to the X-Men standing silently behind their new leader.

"Can we speak to him?"Ororo asked again in that polite way of hers.

"Unfortunately no," Henri responded blocking the doorway entrance from the suddenly unwelcomed guests.

"We have some very important information we need to relay to him about his reasons for staying here," Ororo tried to convey but the loyal brother of Gambit made no move to back down.

"Listen here Bub," Logan broke in tired from his wait at the door. "Rogue ain't who she says she is and I am bettin' dear old Gambit has no clue. So unless you want your brother's death on your hands you might as well back away from that door." Logan explained as three very sharp, very pristine metal claws eased themselves out from between his knuckles.

"Let them in son," Jean-Luc LeBeau interrupted as he made his own way towards his family's historical doorway. Henri took a step back allowing the X-Men full access to his home and to his brother. "He's on the second floor, third door to your left."

Logan nodded and Storm gave her old friend a tired smile as the X-Men raced up the stairway towards Remy's room. No one stopping to ask where the elusive Rogue might be.

Take the stairs three at a time Logan raced down the hallway to the third room. He didn't even bother to knock as he came barreling through the door way. What he found was something he hadn't been expecting.

--


	15. Lying Never Helped Anyone

**A/N: Just to let you people know that the reason it has taken me so long to update this chapter is because I've rewritten the entire thing (all eight pages) four times… Can you believe that? I know exactly where I want this story to go, how it's going to end and everything. But getting it onto paper seems harder than I thought. So thank you for being patient with me.**

**Chapter 15: Lying Never Helped Anyone**

My hand gripped her body to mine, pulling it as close to me as humanly possible. She had me pressed against my bedroom wall. My sheets covered her body, the only thing protecting me from the three armed men in front of us. Her arms were spread wide out as if at any moment they would shoot and she wanted to make damn sure they didn't hit me.

"Mutant Rogue has acquired Mutant Gambit," one of the men dressed in black fatigues clipped into the com in his ear.

"Mutant Rogue your objective has been complete. Please get dressed and report back to Agent Zero as soon as possible," the same man ordered Rogue. She didn't move, in fact she pressed against me harder.

"No."

"Excuse me?" The solider asked completely confused and dumbfounded to the fact that Rogue would go against a direct order.

"No, the Mutant Gambit and the Mutant Rogue will not be returning to base," she answered the solider that looked directly at her as if trying to make a decision.

"Rogue you know this isn't going to end well," the solider told her with a sigh as if they had some how knew one another on a personal level.

"I know Baron," she says with a nod of her head, "go ahead and make the call."

He looks at her again as if his hearts divided. Then he, with a hesitant hand, presses the intercom on the side of his head to make the call.

"Baron to Base, the Mutant Rogue has gone…well rogue. Permission to precede forward sir?" Baron asked who ever was on the other line. It only took a few seconds before he heard the crackle reply. Baron reached down into one of the many pockets lining his pants and pulled out a different clip. I looked at it confused.

"Those won't kill me," Rogue tells him as she moves to wrap the sheets more securely around her.

"That's the whole point," Baron whispered back as he removed his original clip and replaced it the new one. "Our objective has changed. Agent Zero wants Mutant Rogue alive along with Mutant Gambit."

The other men seemed to understand the orders and immediately began to change their own clips. I looked over at Rogue who was still staring at Baron.

"This isn't going to end well for you," Rogue tells him and he looks at her his gun raised. "I know but orders are orders Rogue, every good soldier knows that, even you."

"I won't let them take me alive. I know what they'll do and so do you. I won't let that happen, not again," she says to him and I had to look over at her confused.

I had been in the Weapon X Program myself. Not for very long mind you, but long enough to know some of the things that went on there. I hadn't even thought about how long Rogue had been in the Program herself. It's been what nearly ten years? Ten years of that and I wouldn't want to go back either.

"What do you want me to do Rogue? Let you guys go?" Baron asks both of us knowing that, that wasn't going to happen.

"Sure sugar that sounds like a great plan to me" Rogue quips and I couldn't help but roll my eyes behind her. We're in a life or death situation and Rogue wants to crack jokes with our kidnappers. I wonder when this role reversal happened.

--

Blood. Lots and lots of blood. That's what Logan found when he entered the room that Rogue and Remy had been, only recently, sharing. Henri, Jean-Luc and the X-Men crowded around the room's entrance. All shocked at what they were viewing.

"Is it…," Storm began unable to finish her sentence. Logan took a deep breath of the room. He was assaulted by an array of smells.

"Most of it," Logan eventually replied as he heard a few quick intakes of breaths. Logan took a few more steps into the room smelling the air as he did so. "Rogue was shot here, multiple times," Logan pointed to the wall where a pile of sheets, covered in a brilliant shade of red lay crumpled on the floor. He moved more about the room, turning this way and that as his body moved with the invisible footprints left behind.

"What about my son?" Jean-Luc asked clearly perplexed about the situation. It looked as if an entire battle was waged within his son's room and not a sound was heard.

"I am still looking," Logan said as he sniffed a rather dark pool of blood, a bloody hand print smeared across the wall where brain matter seemed to stick against it in a rather disgusting sort of way. "A man died here." Logan notated as both LeBeau men inhaled sharply as they waited for confirmation. "It's not Gambit though, another man was in this room, at least three others, maybe more later on. I can't be certain." The LeBeau's didn't seem too content with Logan 's answer. Everyone watched as Logan searched the room for any sign of Gambit's trail. It wasn't until Logan reached the open window that one was found.

"Here," Logan pointed to a large red stain that was smeared across the window pane. "This is a mix of everyone but Gambit was injured by this window."

"Is it bad?" Storm asked as she took a step into the blood splattered room.

"No, not nearly as bad as Rogue's injuries, the kid lost a lot of blood. If she doesn't get medical attention soon, she'll probably bleed out," Logan commented as he peered down and out the window, the drying blood streaking his jeans. Logan didn't seem to mind as he eventually picked himself up onto the window ledge and jumped down the two stories to the wet grass below. The light of pre-dawn was slowly making its way over the horizon, illuminating the blood trail left behind.

It took only a handful of minutes for the rest of the group to make it down the stairs and out the side door where Logan stood. All that seemed left of their loved ones was a blood trail that ended at a pair of tire tracks left behind in the wet grass.

"Can you track them?" Bobby asked as he looked down at the imprint in the LeBeau's normally perfectly manicured lawn. Logan smelt the air, looked back down at the ground and then back at the group.

"Yep," was his only answer as he turned and headed back towards the LeBeau Mansion .

--

"_Chere_ you awake?" Gambit asked me as I lay on the hard metal floor of the moving truck.

"Yeah," I croak my throat sore and dry, from what I can't remember. I try to move but Remy quickly pushes me back down onto the cold floor.

"Don't move _Chere_ you've lost a lot of blood," Remy explains to me as he sits beside me.

"You okay?" I ask him as I shift to look at him. His hair was a mess and he was wearing blue scrubs. The familiar looking scrubs I had once upon of time wore like a bad habit.

"Ah… you know me _Chere_ nothin' can get dis Cajun down for long," he quips and I couldn't bring myself to laugh at his words. My body felt light and heavy all at the same time. I had trouble keeping my eyes open.

"Where are we?" I ask him.

"In the back of a van heading towards the newest Weapon X base I assume," he replies and my eyes shoot up in alarm.

"We've got to get out of here," I inform him as the panic begins to over take me. I began to move to a sitting position. My world immediately tilted as I did so. "I won't let them take us back there."

"I've tried Rogue, sit back down, there's no way we're getting out of this van anytime soon," Remy enlightened me as he pulled my hand making me lean into him. "They've had years of experience to help them perfect this van _Chere_ and those lovely collars that they've got us wearing isn't going to help us much either." My hand immediately went to my neck, feeling the heavy metal resting against my throat. I closed my eyes tight trying to block out the memories of the time I had spent under lock and key in the Program. I gripped Remy's shirt as I tried to not lose my cool.

"I can't go back to that, I worked to damn hard to get out," I rambled in hysteria, "I won't be left to die in there again. I was so close to freedom…so close."

"Shush _Chere_, Remy; he promises he ain't going to let nothin' happen to you, ya here?" Gambit said sternly to me pulling my face to look up into his. I was momentarily shocked to see that his normally red on black eyes are now a russet brown. But even though I heard Remy's words and understood them, I knew they weren't true.

"Don't make a promise you can't keep Remy."

--

"So how do you and Baron know one another so well?" Remy asks me as we lean against one another in the van. He has been asking me questions to keep me awake. My wounds had been hurriedly dressed and the blood is still seeping through. We've been in the back of this damn van for nearly an hour now.

"He protected me," I tell him trying to keep my eyes open.

"From what?" he asks me clearly curious.

"From everyone else," I answer with a breathy sigh.

"What happened to you _Chere?"_ I can hear the concern in his murmured voice.

"Life happened," I tell him harshly. "You know all about that."

Remy answered in less than a heart beat. "Yeah _Chere_ I do."

--

"Can you do something for me?" She asks me in a barely lucid voice. I know she can't hang on much longer. The blood from her wounds is now saturating the dressings. Her thick Mississippi blood is seeping through onto the blue scrubs I now adorn.

"Anything for you," I tell her and I find that I actually mean it.

"When we get there they'll start the process all over again," she begins to tell me, "they'll start with the beatings first then move on to the experiments, cutting into my skin, taking it off like before. Layer by layer it will go. But when they get to the end when the process is finally over they'll throw me in with the new recruits." I know what she's going to say. I remember it from my own time in the Program. The new recruits are rabid animals. They've been beaten and starved and they'll tear her apart, from the inside out. "Before they do that…I want…I want you to end it for me."

I grip her body gently knowing deep down that she would ask this of me eventually. A person can only go through so much before they give up. At least she was waiting until the end, hoping I suppose for a second rescue.

"I just can't go through that again," she tells me with deep desperation and as I look at her I know I will tell her that I will but deep down I know the truth. There's no way I could ever be the end of her.

"_Oui Chere," _I solemnly reply to her and she nods her head in acceptance. But between you and me if she doesn't get any medical attention soon there won't be any of that happening.

--

"They're heading west," Logan informed the group of X-Men through his com-link as he drove like a bat out of hell down a large stretch of road. The wind whipped at his long main as he pushed his motorcycle to its very limits. "I think back towards Canada ."

"How far ahead are they from us?" Ororo asked with a panic in her voice.

"Not to far, maybe an hour or so. The trail still real fresh and I am hoping they'll stop soon for gas," Logan informed her.

"Good."

"Hey and Storm?" Logan asked over the line.

"Yes Wolverine?"

"We're going to find them. And when we do we'll get this whole mess sorted out," Logan reassured her. An act he never does.

"I hope you're right."

--

The van came to a sudden lurch and I felt my stomach drop. Pulling Rogue's body closer to mine I held on to her with dear life. I listened as the engine was shut off and the front portion of the van lifted as the two surviving soldier's exited the van. I gulped trying to think of how best to escape without knowing where we were at. Nothing came to mind, not while Rogue was injured so badly.

The latch on the van was unlocked and the door was opened only half way. The brilliant afternoon light streamed into the back of the van. I immediately covered my eyes as I quickly adjusted to the new light. I could hear the soldiers talking to one another. I took that moment to get a better grasp of my surroundings. As I looked to my left I saw the body of the soldier Rogue had killed. His eyes were open and they stared back at me with a glassy and empty expression.

I shivered slightly as I looked down and away from the body. It was then that I noticed it. A crimson puddle of blood pooled beneath our bodies. I knew instantaneously that it all belonged to Rogue. I carefully pressed my fingers against her neck, grateful to feel a pulse, even if it was only the slightest flutter of one.

It was then that the door to the van was opened further and the guard, Baron, stepped up into the van. He didn't even make it two feet before he realized the situation.

"Ah _shit_…Jacobs!" Baron barked as he looked from me to the unconscious Rogue held tightly in my arms. It only took a few moments before the second guard; Jacobs came to stand next to his superior. He took one look at Rogue and repeated his superior's sentiments.

"Get something to clean her up with. We can't have her dying on us before we even make it back to the base or they'll have our heads on a platter for sure!" Baron barked as they both moved out of the van to go get some medical supplies. It was then that I realized that they forgot to lock the van doors. Hell they even forgot to shut them. I saw my one and only opportunity. And I took it.

--

**A/N: Dun…Dun…Dun…!!!! I wonder what will happen next. Will Gambit leave Rogue behind in order to escape on his own? Or will he try to get them both out. Stay tuned for the next chapter to know! **


	16. Left Behind

**A/N: Well I am sorry for the terrible cliffy last chapter. But it really had to be done. Also, there will be a surprising twist towards the end. I only did this because I've gotten such a push for it that I've decided to extend it just a tad bit longer than I had originally planned on doing. So if the reviews continue being as good as they have been I'll maybe even think of making it longer. It all just depends on you. Here's the next one so you'll be happy. **

**Side Note: Okay I am not 100% sure about this but I am going to assume that quick trips or Q-T's (as they are sometimes referenced too) are up in the North. Only ever been up there a handful of times (not a fan of cold weather) and can't remember. So just go along with it. Thanks. **

**Chapter 16: Those Left Behind**

I eased Rogue off of my body, laying her down on the cold metal floor of the van as I crawled to the edge of the truck. I slipped my head out the van doors and looked around. We were in a little no where town at a quick trip. Only one other car was in the parking lot. Not a single car drove down the road it stood in front of.

I sighed at our shit-poor luck. Nothing ever comes easy when you're trying to escape kidnappers. I looked back at Rogue's semi-conscious body. _At least she's breathing_. I thought to myself.

"Go," I heard Rogue croak from behind me.

"You say somethin' _Chere_?" I ask as I come back to sit next to her. She looked up at me, her breathing coming in short little pants, her eyes barely open.

"I said go you stupid Cajun," she said to me, I could tell that, that stupid comment had exhausted her beyond repair. But I couldn't help but grin down at her.

"I ain't leavin' ya behind _Chere_," I tell her trying to make her understand with my now human eyes. I couldn't ever leave her behind. She meant to much, knew too much about me. She is the only person who really knows who I am and isn't afraid. She isn't afraid because she's exactly the same as me. Two peas in one fucked up pod.

She only stares up at me, her eyes empty and devoid of the sparkle they once held. Nothing was left in them, no life left to live. She knew what her fate was; she had already accepted it as she lay here on this cold metal van floor. She raised a blood covered hand and reached out to touch my face, leaving a blood streaked trail in its wake. I grabbed her hand and pressed it closer to my cheek, revealing in the sensation of her skin against my own. I didn't even care that it stained my face with her blood.

"Go," she said again this time with more urgency and even more despair than the normal person could manage. But I could hear, even if she didn't say anything the breaking of her heart as she told me. "Go and don't ever look back." Tears began to fall from her eyes, leaving tracks as it washed away the blood from her pale face.

--

I watched as Baron and Jacobs rushed back towards the van. They were both laden with medical supplies that they had found inside the gas station. It took them a whole seven seconds to realize I was no longer in the inside of the van.

"God damn it!" Baron hollered as he looked wildly around him for any sign of me. But we both knew he wouldn't ever find me.

"She's ready, lost a lot of blood but she'll make it the rest of the stretch," Jacob's summed for Baron as he wiped his hands on a cloth and tossed it into the garbage bin to his right. I watched as Baron looked around the area for any sign of me. But I knew I had covered my tracks well. No sense of being called the Prince of Thieves if I didn't even know how to do that.

"Zero's going to have our heads for sure. Jacobs stay in the back with her, make sure she doesn't lose anymore blood. At least we still have her, we can always come back for Gambit another day," Baron concluded as Jacob's loaded himself into the back of the van and secured the doors quickly behind him. Baron did another scan of the area, assuming I was already long gone before jumping into the driver's seat and taking off.

I watched the van drive away, I watched as Rogue was taken from me to parts unknown. I watched as I left her to her fate. I watched as I killed her in one fateful decision. I watched as my heart shattered into a million pieces.

--

"They were here about twenty minutes ago," Logan concluded as he hoped off of his bike to asses the situation. He sniffed the trash can as the rest of the crew pulled up. Logan reached inside and pulled out the bloody cloths covered in Rogue's blood. It was still fresh.

"Oh God," Bobby Drake cried out as he looked at what Logan held in his hands. A dreading fear clenching his heart at the thought of what could be happening to the woman he had once loved.

"At least they're trying to stop the bleeding," Logan sighed.

"Logan drive ahead and keep on they're trail," Storm ordered her eyes never leaving the cloth in Logan 's hands. "Make sure we find them."

Logan said nothing only nodded his head before hopping back on his bike and taking off.

"Bobby, Kitty go inside and see if anyone saw anything," Ororo commanded as she began to scan the area around her. Bobby and Kitty didn't wait; they immediately headed inside the quick trip.

"We'll find them," Jean-Luc whispered to Ororo who said nothing in return. She was too afraid that if she did, she would lose the cool and calm demeanor she had been able to maintain throughout this entire ordeal.

"Now if Remy didn't know any better he would say he thought you _duex_ might actually be worried about _moi_," Remy joked as he made to lean heavily against the large x-van. He fringed exhaustion as he looked at his worried teammates.

Ororo and Jean-Luc turned to face Remy. He was wearing blue scrubs that were completely covered in a purplish-red stain that stretched across his entire body. A large metal collar was clasped tightly around his neck, a faint green light blinking beneath his chin. A smear of red was evident across his fine facial features.

"Gambit?" Strom asked first in complete disbelief at the sight in front of her.

"_Oui_ Stormy?" He asked pushing off of the van and walking closer to his best friend and father.

"Oh my Goddess!" Storm screamed out as she launched her self onto Gambit into a bone crushing hug. "We thought we lost you."

"Ah Stormy you should know better. No one can hold dis Cajun Swamp Rat for long," Gambit chuckled as he easily pushed Storm off of his persons.

"How did you escape?" She asked him a large and brilliant smile adorning her lips.

"It was easy," Gambit said with a smile, "I walked out."

"You…wait what? You walked out? "Storm asked perplexed.

"Oh thank God!" said Bobby as he and Kitty approached Gambit and the others. "We thought you guys would be dead for sure." Bobby commented as he came up to Gambit, he searched around him. A puzzled look over took his innocent features. "Gambit where's Rogue?"

It was then that Remy LeBeau looked away at his friends, ashamed to admit he had left her behind. Even if it was at her own request.

--

"You're lying," Bobby expressed as he shook his head. He couldn't believe it. Gambit left her behind. He left Rogue to save himself.

"_Desole_ but Remy, he ain't be lying," Jean-Luc stated as he looked at his son. The despair was clearly written on his sons face. Jean-Luc knew Gambit better than Gambit knew himself sometimes and guilt was something his son felt more than anyone else. What he did would never leave him; he will always remember the day he left her to die.

Remy said nothing, not even taking the offered clean clothes that Kitty had presented to him. He sat in a leather covered chair inside the x-van and could only look down at the floor beneath him.

"She's a murder Bobby, a thief and a liar. She sold Gambit out for her own skin. She deserves whatever it is she's going to be getting," Kitty hissed out with venom in her voice.

She was so occupied with talking to Bobby, to make her boyfriend understand that the woman he once loved, the woman he was still hung up on, was not the person she had made him believe, that she didn't see Gambit rise from his seat. He was on her before anyone in the backseat could understand what was happening. Gambit had Kitty up against the wall, her face only inches from his own as he spoke to her. His demon eyes shinning, the blood on his face making him more deadly as he spoke to her in a low, threatening voice.

"No one deserves what she's about to go through," Gambit spit out, "no one."

He didn't release Kitty, he held her in place until she nodded her head in acceptance. Even then he still didn't release her until Ororo placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "And anyways _petite_ the same thing could be said about me." He whispered to her as he retook his seat in one fluid motion.

Everyone looked around at one another. What had just occurred was beyond baffling. None of them knew what had transpired between the two Southerner's in their weeks together. No one had any idea how Remy LeBeau, womanizer and lady's man, could feel such loss over the sure death of Rogue.

"Remy," Storm spoke softly, kneeling down to be eye level with Remy, "what really happened between you and Rogue."

Gambit looked up at her, tears evident in his eyes as he told her what really happened between him and Rogue.

"I fell in love with her Ororo. Then I left her to die."

--

I was thrown or more liked dropped onto the cold white-washed floor that I had at one time spent hours laying on. I rolled over, my face coming in contact with the florescent white lights of my prison. I sighed. At least it was my old cell. It felt morel like home that way.

"Great," I heard from ahead of me. I lifted my head up, my body aching as I did so. My eyes locked onto those of the one man I never thought I would ever see again. My eyes grew wide as realization hit me in the chest. My heart constricting as I continued to look at him with disbelief.

"We thought… you're alive!" I all but screamed as I jumped up rather quickly, pulling at the stitches at my side. I winched out in pain. He lifted himself up off one of the cots that lined the room.

I instantaneously noticed the thinness of his body and the ragged scrubs he wore. His face was set in a hard line. His eyes are crystal blue that seemed to pierce my very soul. I didn't have to ask to know what had happened to him. I already knew I've done this all before. And from my time here years ago I know he had as well.

"I am guessing you're not the rescue party," he stated as if trying to lessen the tension between us.

I let out a snort a smile coming across my pale features. "What was your first clue?"

"Well on the bright side at least we both know Logan will find us eventually," he said to me and my smile suddenly dropped.

"They won't come looking for me," I stated as I pulled away from him. He looked at me confused.

"What do you mean? Logan would literally die for you. There won't be anything stopping him from getting you back," he said to me with a hopeful look in those beautiful eyes of his.

"I am not who I said I was Scott," I told him truthfully my eyes cast down at my omission.

"Again what do you mean?"

I sighed looking back up at him, "I work for the Weapon X Program. I am the whole reason why you're here."


	17. Blood Loss

**A/N: Just to let everyone know we're coming to the end of this story. Can you believe it? It's almost done. Only like five or six more chapters left. It's really depressing. Just thought I should let ya'll know.**

**Chapter 17: Blood Loss**

He didn't look at me, hell he just seemed to have completely checked out. So I just stood there, body aching from the loss of blood and the stitches that itched in my side. But I didn't say anything as he processed the whole of the information I had just unleashed upon him. Because I knew that I was inadvertently to blame for his current situation.

"I don't believe you," he said with a shake of his rather long brown hair. It fell back into place in a rather handsome sort of way. It reminded me instantly of Remy.

"My mission was to locate all of the previous mutants who were part of the Weapon X Program who had escaped over the last decade or so. Lucky for me three happened to fall right into my lap," I explained to him without a hint of amusement. My eyes had gone blank as I repeated my assignment to him in a rather robotic way.

I had to cut my ties off from the X-Men. I couldn't let them continue to have emotional ties to me. Not after I have been thrown back into the Program. I won't be the same person I was before. I won't be the doe like Rogue who was frightened by her own skin. I'll be Rogue, I'll be death and I'll be knocking on their door.

"You told them where to find us?" Scott stated rather slowly.

"Yes, I am the real reason why Striker knew the entire layout of X-Men mansion. Eric was just our cover up and the easiest way to get to you," I explained, "everyone else was just collateral damage."

The disbelief on his face shattered whatever else was left of my heart. Having my leader look down on me was sickening. After Logan had abruptly left, Scott was my only guiding light. He was one of the main reasons why I decided to forgo working with the Program and become a full fledge X-Men. If it wasn't for him I would be on the other side of this cell right about now.

"Then what happened? Why are you here with me and not there like them?" He asked furry buried deep within his voice, I could see the tension in his arms as anger at my betrayal coiled within them. I looked away from him then, suddenly feeling rather exposed.

"I thought I was free. After Logan left Striker to die I thought I was home free. No one was left to run Weapon X. I could just go on and pretend like the last few years of my life never really happened. But then my Mother showed up and well it just all went downhill from there," I explained to him, he looked at me confusion clearly written. I could understand how hard it would be for him to put all of the pieces together, it was hard even for me.

"You're Mother?" He asked me. I let out another sigh, still not looking him in the face.

"My mother is Raven Darkholme you know her by her mutant name Mystique," I told him. He took a step back away from me as if I was going to attack him at any time. I still held my ground knowing these reactions were normal for someone who didn't know anything about me or my life. I had to suck it up. I had to let the damage be done; it would be the only way to remove the love the shared for me disappear.

"She tried to kill you!" He yelled out in skepticism and I shook my head.

"Actually she tried to save me; going with Magneto was at the time, the only way for me to really escape from Striker. When I was in the Program the first time he forced me to touch another mutant. Her name was Carol Danvers," I continued my long explanation of my life within the Program. Listing off events and times of what I had done, what I did to further the process of the one mutant organization that might actually have a chance at killing a large mass of mutants.

It was then that our attentions were redirected to the tapping on the bars in front of us. I turned to see Agent Zero smiling at me. My time was up; my reinstating into the Program had begun.

--

"We'll find her Remy," Jean-Luc promised as I sat with my head in my hands. I refused to take off my soiled clothing. I was afraid that if I did I would lose the only thing that connected me to her. It was the only thing that I had left. I wasn't about to lose that too.

"How? She could be anywhere! And I was foolish enough to leave her behind!" I yelled at my father slamming a fist into the seat in front of me. It caused the passenger in front of me to turn around and give me a pitiful look. I sneered in return.

"We found you didn't we?" Bobby Drake asked from my left. He was sitting in his normal seat. The one he sat in no matter where we were. He always sat right behind the driver. I had always thought to be a little odd.

"The only reason you found _moi_ was because those _hommes _were stupid enough to leave the van door open!" I hollered at him this time kicking the chair in front of me. "If they hadn't been so stupid no one would ever be able to find us!"

"Well they aren't the only ones," Kitty mumbled in the chair next to her ice cold boyfriend. I turned sharply to her. My eyes narrowed down on her.

"What?" I asked her standing from my seat. She did the same, no longer looking like the frightened little _chaton_ she was known to be.

"If we were really smart we wouldn't have trusted her from the start! It's because of her that we're all in the situation in the first place! It's because of her that we've lost so much," Kitty said in a rush and I couldn't do anything but stare at her in disbelief.

"It's because of her that I am still alive."

--

"Welcome home Rogue," he said to me with a casual smile. It was a smile that had at one time been directed at me with a different intention.

"Well hello sugar! Long time no see," I said walking up towards the bars in a casual way. No use in making the enemy aware that I was scared shitless. "I see the Program has been treating you well."

"We've both seen better days," he said with a shrug. A silence stretched between us before I continued the friendly banter we normally shared.

"Thanks for the roommate by the way," I said with semi-sweet smile motioning towards Scott. He let out a deep chuckle.

"Well I would hate to have to listen to you talk to yourself for hours on end again. That got really annoying real fast. At least this time someone will respond," he said to me with the same smile that just seemed to never want to leave his face.

It was then that our conversation was put on hold when a black and red leather figure came bounding down the corridor towards my cell.

"It's true," the newest member to our little pow-wow said with shock.

"Well if it isn't my favorite Merc!" I said with a hearty laugh, "you come to bail me out of here or are you just gonna stand there and drool?"

He blinked and then looked at me still in shock.

"I can't believe they finally caught you!" Wade Wilson said to me with a deep chuckle that caused his entire body to bounce.

"Thanks for the reminder," I said with a roll of my eyes still leaning up against the bars to my cell.

--

"Storm the scent is beginning to fade," Logan commented into his ear piece as he rode across the Canadian border. The scent of Rogue had been fading slowly for over the last quarter stretch. But he refused to believe that they've already gone and lost her. Not after everything they've all already been through.

"Keep going Logan. Don't stop until you can't find a scent anymore," Storm replied across the static filled com-link. He let out a sigh, kicked the stand from his motorcycle and started the engine.

"You go it Storm."

--

"We can't lose her Ororo," I said to my best friend.

"We won't Remy," She said with sorrow and regret. I closed my eyes allowing some of the memories we've shared to wash over me. Hoping they would somehow calm the nerves racing within me.

"_I want you to touch me Remy," she confesses to me again. "I've lived half my life with people telling me who I can and cannot touch. I want you to be the first person I let touch me because I want them to."_

"_As you wish __mon cherie__."_

I shudder at the memory. It was right before I gave into her. It was right before my life went to complete and total shit. I let out a deep sigh and continued to work on blocking out the images of her naked form withering beneath me, moaning my name. The memories of her making me feel like I was the only person on this damnable planet worth living and fighting for. As if I was the only person worth loving.

"_Ann-Marie is a __bell__ name __Chere__," I tell her from across my room. She's digging in her closet for something, throwing useless female items behind her._

"_Ann-Marie died a long time ago," She curtly replies as she tosses out more shoes and other forgotten items at the bottom of her closet._

"_I don't believe that __Chere__," I say to her as I move to sit on her bed. She grumbles something under her breath that I don't care to catch as she continues to shift through the items on her closet floor. _

It was in that moment that I knew something was different about her, something that I couldn't quite place. The way she talked, the way she moved throughout life was so similar to my own. It left me curious. It left me craving for more. It was in that moment I knew that no matter what happened I was going to find out exactly what Rogue had been hiding. I wish now that I had just left it all alone. Maybe then it would be me locked up in some mutant prison instead of her.

--

"You'll be starting from the beginning. I hope you'll be more corruptive than last time," Agent Zero cooed as he stepped aside to let the good doctor have a look at me. I knew who he was the moment he stepped into my line of sight.

"Good evening Rogue. It's been a long time. I can't wait to get reacquainted," he crooned as I backed away from the bars. I could no longer hide the fear that bubbled up within me. Images of sleepless nights with his face looming over mine, scalpels and tubes, the screaming of countless victims, it was all right there. Then all I could ever see was all of that blood…all of my blood as it would drip slowly onto the ground below me.

"Hello Mr. Sinister," I whispered out as I let a shiver rack my body. He grinned haughtily down at me. His sparklingly white teeth glistened against his clammy, pale color.

--

"Are you injured?" Hank McCoy asks me, he's kneeled in front of me trying to get a better look at all of my wounds. He hasn't realized that this blood, this blood that covers me from head to toe isn't even mine.

"_Non_," I reply with a shake of my head. My long locks are matted, stuck together by that sticky purple goop I know to be her slowly drying blood.

"No?" Hank reiterates baffled by my response. Everyone is looking at me. Bobby the most, Kitty is still looking at the ground and _mon pere_ and Stormy are just to confused to really know how to take this all in. I couldn't blame them. I still didn't really know what was going on.

"It's not mine," I answer again trying to make my statement more clarified. It's only then that I looked up at him my burning red eyes boring into pitch black ones. "It's all hers."

His eyes went wide and then shifted into a softness that only a man like him can create. It was a man like him that knew without knowing that something's just shouldn't be said out loud.

"Of course."

--

I screamed, I screamed for all I was worth. The pain was immeasurable as he took another sliver of my skin away. I let my eyes roll to the back of my head, squeezing my eye lids shut as if this would somehow distort the pain that I was feeling. I knew however that no matter what I did, the pain would never go away.

"Ah…how I've missed those screams of yours. They are like the symphony to my orchestra," he hummed as he bent down to take another layer away from me. I tried to stop the scream that escaped my throat, but like everything else it was useless. "One day my dear you will see, that all of this was part of something bigger than yourself."

The idea nearly had me gagging on my own bile. So cliqued I couldn't help but think of the irony of the situation. I swallowed the rising bile down as I gasped for another breath of air as another strip of skin was removed. I struggled to stay conscious afraid of what might happened if I closed my eyes. What would I wake up too? What would they do to me in my slumbering state? What would I dream of when I closed my eyes?

I knew what I would dream of; it would be exactly the same as last time. This time would be no different. The only consolation to all this was that Remy was safe, for now.

--

"It just stops," Logan informed Ororo through his communicator.

"What do you mean it just stops? How can a trail just stop?" Ororo asked through the static of the line. He could hear the panic in her voice, the worry of only someone who still cared. He let out a deep sigh. Rogue was like the kid he never had. She was the daughter he had always wanted. Now knowing she was someone completely different than what he had originally believed stung deep within him. Yet he couldn't find it in himself to hate her, dislike her decisions? Hell yes. But hate her? Never. She was his pack, his friend and family. They were supposed to stick to one another, just like she did him.

He could never hate Rogue for her choices in life. Even if he didn't know the entirety of those choices, he still felt that Rogue was still someone he could trust. All he needed was a chance for Rogue to explain those choices to him. If only they could find her. If only he could save her once again before it was all too late.

"All I am sayin' Storm is that it just stops, it doesn't go anywhere. She didn't switch vehicles, she didn't get on a damn plane and she didn't drift off into the sunset on some damn boat. The scent just stops," He informed his commander as he continued to sniff the area searching for any trace that was Rogue.

"We'll be there in a minute, we're only a few minutes behind you," Storm replied through the static of the comic link. Logan didn't reply. Something was defiantly wrong with the situation in front of him and he couldn't quite place his adamantium claw on it.

--

"I won't lose her Ororo," I told her again as I listened to her conversation with Wolverine. His words caused a rift to open in my chest, leaving a gaping hole in its wake. Ororo turned to look at me; her macho eyes looked saddened at my obvious pain. We both knew that nothing anyone could do would elevate it.

"You won't, we'll find her. We found her before and we'll find her again," Storm assured me, but something in the back of my mind murmured that she wouldn't. Rogue was lost to me as she was to herself. No one will be able to find her again. Not until she decides she wants to be found. Even then when that does occur she won't be my Rogue anymore. She'll be the Programs Rogue. She'll be a ruthless killer completely intent on killing anyone who the government demands.

She'll be death.

I didn't respond to Storm. I didn't say anything. I just turned to stare out of the van window hoping she was right.

--

I was thrown back into my cell. My wounds left open to bleed carelessly onto the ground. My body weak from the physical exhaustion the good doctor had just put me through. I could feel Scott only a few feet from me. Standing there as he watched me groan in pain on the floor. Normally the Scott I knew would be at my side in only a moment's notice. But things are different now. Scott's a changed man. There's no Professor Xavier out there to rescue him. There's no beautiful red-headed woman at his side to whisper sweet nothing's into his ear at night. There's no one, no one but me. The traitor to his people, the traitor to his family, the traitor to himself.

I don't deserve his compassion and sadly I don't want it either. I deserve every moment that I get. Every ounce of pain delivered will be a reminder of the sins that I have committed and of the sins that I know are still on their way.

"You're personal healer will be here in a minute or so," a guard crowed from his position in front of Scott and mine's cell. I didn't even turn to register what he was telling me. I already knew. There were only two healers on the Weapon X Team and I know for a fact that they won't be sending in Wade Wilson. Wade would probably help me escape only to watch the mayhem that would ensue. No, these people had prepared for me. They knew exactly what they were getting into this time around. No, they would be sending in healer number two, my favorite person in this whole god forsaken world.

And all I could do was laugh hysterically on the floor and spat off a sarcastic remark.

"Great, I needed a good tumble in the hay."

--

**A/N: I wonder who it'll be, her mystery healer… it's really easy if you can't guess it then you don't know your X-Men very well. :D **


	18. Operation Ostrich

**A/N: another chapter bites the dust. Only like two or three chapters left. I also want to make a notation. This is for Chellerbelle. I couldn't find a legit excuse so like I mentioned I am going to be doing the ostrich excuse. She's literally going to stick her head in the ground. *throws hands up in the air* nothing else sounded good. **

**Also, I am adding another surprising twist! Something no one will see coming…**

**Chapter 18: Operation Ostrich  
**

"When we get Gumbo back?" Logan asked us as we slowly unloaded from the x-van. I didn't say anything. Hell I didn't even crack some wise ass remark. I just looked out and around me, searching for any sign of Rogue. Like Logan however I didn't find a damn thing.

"Back at the gas station he escaped and hid until we showed up," Bobby informed our feral teammate as I began to scout the area. I wasn't ready to admit defeat.

"So you're telling me you left Rogue behind?" Logan asked me slowly, each word pronounced just so. As if I might misinterpret what he was trying to tell me. But I got the double meaning. He was telling me I was a coward for leaving her behind. And he's right I am.

"_Oui_," I answer not looking at him as I look down at the ground near where the tire tracks just seem to disappear. I am still wearing that ridiculous blood spattered uniform I had on when the X-Men found me. I still refuse to remove it.

"Where do you think they went?" Bobby questions us as if by some magic we know the answer. Logan gives him a look that clearly states _not now iceboy_. The rest of us say nothing.

"We look stupid," Kitty finally speaks up as she throws her hands up into the air. "We're all walking around some abandoned field in a circle. We're not going to magically find Rogue by doing this."

We all look at her like she's grown a second head. She's right, for once, and we know it. We look like idiots and we're not doing a damn thing that will help us find Rogue.

--

"Twenty-one Mississippi, twenty-two Mississippi, twenty- three Mississippi – "

"Rogue shut the fuck up," Scott snaps at me as I pace nervously around the room. I can feel him coming; I know he's just down the hallway. Me and him, we were connected once. Shared our lives together, murdered together, and slept together. We were unstoppable. That was before I escaped, that was before I left him behind. That was before I watched him kill with pleasure in his eyes and a hunger on his tongue.

"When he comes," I say directly to Scott, my hands twitching nervously, "don't try to stop him."

"Rogue what are you talking about?" He asks me as he finally stands up from his claimed cot.

"He'll kill you. He won't do anything to damaging to me, I am too important to him. But you, he'll kill you," I say begging him with my eyes to not interfere. "So don't get in his way."

He looks at me as if I lost my mind. He's probably close on point with that one. My mind isn't all put together at the moment. My thoughts are scattered and thrown about and I can't find any way to put them back together again. My body is on complete fight or flight mode.

"Please Scott," I beg, "don't try to stop him, and don't get in his way."

He doesn't get a chance to answer as our cell door opens up.

--

"Do you think maybe this building is like the last one?" Bobby Drake asked curiously causing every eye of the small group around him to turn towards him.

"What do you mean?" Ororo asks, clearly confused about the question presented.

"I mean maybe its underground like the last one," he answered with a shrug of his shoulders. Everyone turns to look at one another. Their thoughts going towards the same conclusion as they all turn their attentions to the hard surface below them.

"Hey half-pint come here," Logan drawls out as he motions for the resident Kitty-Cat towards him.

--

"Hello Frail," Victor Creed hummed to me as he entered our cell. It was the pet name he used that caused me to blanch. I had thought for the longest time that he was dead.

It's been a long time since I've seen him. We were together at the Statue of Liberty. I hadn't even known he was working for Magneto at the time. I hadn't even known he was there until he came into the cabin of that boat. Our eyes locking and connecting like it was the old days all over again. It was obvious then that he had believed Magneto had kidnapped me and was holding me there against my will. It wasn't until Magneto gave him his orders that he realized I had volunteered for the whole operation.

"_Why?" He had asked me and at the time I could only give him the answer I had been telling myself over and over again. _

"_It hurts too much," I let out a shaky breath before I finished my response, "and I don't want to end up like you."_

_Those words had slapped him harder across the face than anything I could have physically done to him. But at the time my answer had felt right, I was ready for it to all end. I was ready for all of the pain and suffering I had caused to just end._

_He had recovered himself rather quickly. "I don't want you to die Anna."_

"_I died a long time ago. I haven't been Anna in a long while Victor. I am not the girl I used to be, I am something more…disturbing than before. I hate who I've become, what I've done. I am ready for it all to end. And if helping my fellow man is a part of that process…well I don't see a better way to go down."_

_He had only just nodded his head at me, closed the latches on those hand cuffs and then kissed me chastely on the forehead. His clawed hands running through my hair as he whispered his apologizes to me. A few hours later it was relayed to me that Logan had killed Victor. I only let a few tears fall, masking my pain like I had done so many times before hand. He had died trying to protect my wishes. He had died trying to give me the only thing I ever really wanted and it was all in vain._

He was once a great man, Victor Creed, one of power and immense strength and beauty. A man I once considered a great friend and lover.

But like I mentioned that was before and this was now. And the type of person, type of animal he was now wasn't something I was looking forward too. I could feel the fear roll off of me in waves. I knew Victor could feel it. I knew he could hear the quickening panic of my heart and see the dilation in my eyes.

He could only let out a deep chuckle. "I see you've missed me."

I took a step back, away from him. The distance between us wasn't nearly enough as my back pressed up against the cement of mine and Scott's cell wall. Victor didn't move as he watched me panic like a scared rabbit in a fox hole.

Victor didn't take a step towards me, he just watched me like I was his prey. I turned my attention away from Victor as I looked over his shoulder to Scott. He was standing silently against his cot. A look of connection was formed when he took in my face and the mere knowledge of why Victor Creed was in our cell. It was like he was watching a scene unfold in front of his eyes. A scene that I could only wish no one else was a witness too.

--

"You want me to do what?" Kitty asked Logan as if he had lost his damn mind. Obviously she didn't see the importance of the situation. Unlike the rest of her teammates, kitty was still in belief that Rogue was where she belonged. Away from everyone else.

"Stick you head in the ground," Logan commanded her as if this was something of no great importance.

"This is stupid! She isn't here, I mean look around you, there's no sign that someone has been here in years let alone in the last hour or so," Kitty pressed as she looked around at her teammates hoping for some form of back up. She turned to look at Bobby; he was just watching her with his cold, blue eyes. He had no intentions of backing up his current girlfriend over his last one.

"Kitty," Bobby Drake began, "do what Logan asked."

Kitty looked at him with a face that screamed betrayal. But like the rest of the team, Bobby wasn't affected in the slightest. It didn't matter that the story Remy had told them might possibly be true. I didn't matter that Rogue was everything he had been taught to hate. All that mattered was that she was safe and out of whatever harm may come to her. And from the look on Gambit's face as he stared Katherine Pryde down, he knew that where Rogue was right now was the last place any person wanted to be.

"Fine," Kitty huffed out as she kneeled down close to the earth beneath her as she leaned forward and stuck her head into the bitter soil below her.

--

"Please Victor," I begged as he took his first step towards me. I raised his hand to stop him. Hoping that in the last few years he might have actually grown a conscious. "I can't… don't come any closer."

He stopped and looked at me for what felt like eternity. His face lost all emotion as he looked at me. I felt the heat rise within me.

"You don't want me to heal you?" He asked as if I had slapped him in the face. I shook my head no.

"Why?" He pressed and I let out a shuttered sigh.

"I…I don't want it to be like the last time," I reminded him not looking away from his face as I said those words. "I don't want you to hurt me anymore."

He looked at me with a cock of his head as if he was assessing the situation. He knew as well as everyone else that I retained memories of whomever I come into contact with. He knows that I will see everything he's done. He knows I will relive him killing innocent people. He knows I'll relive his pleasure at doing so.

"If I don't someone else will. We don't have a choice anymore remember?" He reminded me in a cool voice so unknown to him. I could only look at him knowingly. He was right, if he didn't do it, someone else will and at least Victor knows my limits. The guards outside our cell doors don't, they'll hurt me till I break.

I could only nod my head once as he took another step towards me.

--

"You're right," Kitty admitted as she resurfaced from the ground. "There's a tunnel right underneath us."

"Of course I was right," Bobby scoffed as he sauntered over to his girlfriend. I felt my heart strings pull at their action. If felt like decades since I held Rogue so closely to myself. Her body pressed against mine, her heavy breathing as she whispered my name. I shook the mental image I was forming from my mind. I didn't have time to day dream, not when Rogue could already be lying dead on some hospital bed or worse.

"Alright Storm how you wonna do this? Stealth or direct impact?" Wolverine asked as he let his metal claws extend. I watched him flex his hands; the tension between his knuckles was evident. The issue with Rogue was finally taking a toll on the old man. I filed it back in my mind to hash it over at a later time. I quickly returned my attention back to Storm.

"Jean-Luc, Beast and Gambit, I want you all to stay behind with the X-Van. In case something happens I want someone in contact with us and the mansion at all times-

"No," I interrupted as I took a step towards my friend. She looked at me as if I had lost my mind. I've never disobeyed a direct order from her. "I am not staying behind."

"Remy you're in no condition-"

"It doesn't matter, I won't sit here and do nothing," I replied my Cajun accent disappearing as I stressed my need to go with them, to find her. Storm analyzed me for a moment or two more before she spoke again.

"Fine. Beast, Jean-Luc and I will stay behind with the X-Van and keep us all in contact with one another. Shadowcat will phase the rest of you into the tunnel and from there Logan will take point. Make sure you stay in contact with us at all times. If something happens call Beast and I in and we'll work the scene from there," Strom commanded as we all nodded our heads in understanding.

We then moved in next to Shadowcat. Bobby took her left hand, Logan her right and I held on to her shoulders as we passed through the earth and landing in the empty space provided by the metal tunnel that ran beneath the ground.

--

"I can't see a thing!" Shadowcat complained for the fifth time as we silently crept down the tunnel. No lights were evident as we made our way further into the darkness.

"Just hold on to my hand you won't get lost," Bobby reassured her. Being the only person who could really see in the dark I almost wanted to tell them the truth. There was something a lot more sinister going on around them. I just couldn't figure it out.

"See anything Gumbo?" Wolverine asked me as he crouched low to the ground. I could see his nostrils flair as he took in the smells around him.

"Nothing at da moment _homme._ You smell anything yet?" I questioned as I continued to move forward. I let my Cajun accent that had disappeared from earlier resurface.

"Yeah, Rogue was here not too long ago. A few hours tops. The van ya'll were in stopped a few yards back. They took her out there and dragged her further down," Logan explained to me and I let out a deep sigh. _At least we're close._

"A lot can happen in a few hours _mon ami_. " I replied as we picked up our paces. Again I got that nagging feeling that something wasn't all that right.

--

"I told you to not interfere Summers. How hard was that?" I asked him as I wiped my bloodied face across my blue scrubs as I tugged my shirt back on.

"You let him…," He couldn't finish his sentence. He just turned and looked away from me. The left side of his face was swollen to almost twice its normal size. It was already turning a pretty purple color.

"I know what I let him do. I am not an idiot. It could have been a lot worse than that. I could let those guards do it instead. Five against one isn't my idea of a good time Scott. I don't care how good of a fighter I am. I am not that stupid. At least Sabertooth knows when I've had enough. Unlike the rest of those damn yahoos," I explained to him as I spat some more blood onto the cemented floor below me.

"I thought you would have at least put up a fight," Scott sighed out as he looked back over at me. I could see his disappointment in his barely recognizable face. I looked him straight in the eye.

"You might not have done this rodeo for very long so let me give you some words of advice. Fighting gets you nowhere here. It just makes the beatings harder and the experiments longer. It makes you careless and it keeps the guards on edge. If you were smart, like the X-Men Leader you are, you would know when to keep that trap of yours shut and go with the punches until you saw your best opportunity. Guards are human and they make mistakes, mistakes that you and I can use to our advantage. But it would be pretty fucking useless if you or me were laid up somewhere with a broken arm or leg."

He just looked at me like I was the most amazing person on the planet. It was a nice feeling for a whole two minutes. Before I realized how fucked up they had made Scott Summers. No one likes being put into a cage. No one likes being treated like an animal. It's all about the fight and flight senses that have been encoded into our DNA along with our mutations. And Scott Summers has always been a fighter. Me on the other hand I'll admit I am a damn good fighter. But I've learned real quick in all of my years in the Program. Fighting will get you a fist in the face and a broken bone to boot. While on the other hand, passiveness will get you everything you ever dreamed of. Like real food, a shower, clean clothes and guards that don't see you as a piece of ass.

Scott Summers has yet to learn this very valuable lesson. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But this isn't about survival of the fittest. Brawn won't get you to the top of the food chain here, only your brains will.

It was just that simple.


	19. Cat and Mouse

**A/N: I know, I know it's been forever. There have been too many life changes for me to be an active member on here anymore. So if you will please forgive me I would really appreciate it.**

Chapter 19: Cat and Mouse

Sound resonated throughout the darkened tunnel. Each step echoed like a screaming child as we crossed the distance in the dark. Each click of either Bobby's or Kitty's heeled boots made me cringe with dread knowing that someone, somewhere was listening to their clumsy footsteps. I looked over my shoulder at them, the darkness masking my actions, knowing that we should have left them up at the surface. I knew that if they died today- I didn't finish the thought.

I wouldn't let my self-considered the reality of losing someone else in my life. Neither of them should ever experience life inside the Weapon X Program. Neither one of them should be harvested out for their powers, used against their will and forced to do the deeds only a mad man would seek out.

No, I wouldn't let that happen. Not even to them.

"I don't understand," I whisper mostly to myself as I watch guards begin to file up along the outside wall of Scott and mines cell. My eyes flicker between each one trying to figure out what's going on.

"What do you mean?" Scott asks as he finally moves from his prone position on the cot to stand by my side. He's bracing himself for the worst and I am almost proud to see that the fight hasn't yet left him.

"Normally we would get a day of rest before being shuffled back out to the labs. It takes time to catalog all of those samples and run pulmonary tests. They wouldn't suggest or even consider bringing me back out until that has as least been completed."

"Maybe they don't need to?" Scott suggests and my heart drops into my stomach.

"Maybe," But I already know he's right. Why would they need to do any more research on me? They've already done all of this before.

All that's left to do to me is to throw me back into the Program. My mouth grows dry as our cell door is open and the guards rush in.

"You know for a secret government facility that has been hidden underground for who knows how long their lack of security really does suck," Bobby stated obviously as we finally came to the end of the tunnel. We had the lucky option of having four locked doors to choose from.

"What makes you think they don't already know we're here Popsicle?" Logan asked as he motioned for Kitty to scope out what's behind each door.

Apparently door number two was our ticket out of the dark tunnel and into a brightly lit corridor with glassed panel doorways that led endlessly throughout the compound we now occupied. Logan looked at me with a casually raised eyebrow, a common occurrence with the Wolverine.

"Where too now?"

His guess was as good as mine.

They hustled us into a room. It was just as sterile and unfeeling as everything else in this compound. I looked uncertainly at Scott. He said nothing, just stood unmoving before the men that would decide our fate.

"Strap them in."

A voice I hadn't ever heard spoke loudly across the room. His voice demanded authority, screamed at his men to do what was requested of them. I suppose that even meant destroying innocent people's lives.

I sucked in a breath. Doing everything in my power to control the suffocating fear that dared to swallow me whole as a man grabbed my upper arm. He roughly escorted me towards an upright operating table. Straps hung limply from the beds sides. I felt my body cringe at what this might mean for both Scott and I.

We were forcibly latched to the table the belts biting into my flesh. I bit back a cry of pain as bright lights were turned on. I knew what was about to happen. I could see everything unfolding in front of me. It was like a train wreck I knew I wouldn't be able to stop.

"Let the process begin."

The voice echoed like a death sentence and I turned my head to face Scott. Tears dripping down my face, tears I hadn't realized where even falling until they splashed against my bare skin.

"I am so sorry Scott," I half-whispered as he turned to look at me. His look was filled not with hatred, fear or regret but with sorrow. A sorrow that struck me hard, so hard I had to close my eyes. I let the tears wash over me, letting my weakness and failure come to a head.

This was the end and there was no coming back again.

"This is taking too long. We have to do something. Too much time has passed," Kitty rambled as we searched yet another deserted looking floor.

"She's right," Bobby agreed as we stopped at the end of the hallway.

I sighed in agitation. The hope I had seemed to diminish with every footstep in the wrong direction. I felt my heart slowly dropping into my stomach. Knowing at any moment we would lose her for forever. It left me feeling as if with her gone I wouldn't have anything left in this world. Without her I wouldn't know what life could-should feel like.

"Chaton phase through da floor we don't have time for this," I practically begged her. She stared at me for half a second before nodding her head and disappearing into the levels below us. I felt like my heart was racing with anticipation and not the kind you normally enjoy. Instead of the usually thrill I was unfortunately filled with an evil dread.

"What do we do now?" Bobby asked as we all stared blankly at the floor.

"We wait."

I couldn't tell if it had been days or hours since the last time I woke up. Everything seemed to be a jumble of bright lights and harsh sounds. My head screamed from the constant pain that resonated through it. A pain I hadn't felt in years.

I blinked multiple times. Doing everything I could to clear my vision and figure out where I was and what my current situation was. However as my eyes became more focused I wished I could close them again. I wish I could pretend like what I was looking at was not real. But there lying slumped, carelessly thrown on the floor, was the body of Scott Summers. His brilliant blue eyes stared blankly out into the nothingness.

All I could do was let out a soul shattering scream.

I cradled his motionless body to my chest. I cried for him. I cried for all of them. I cried for the lives I've taken and for the homes I have forever destroyed. I cried for the people I ruined because I couldn't end the torment of my own life. Because of my existence another innocent, good person died for no real reason. Another person forever will be laid to rest for the sins I had created.

I pulled his face away from my chest and looked down at his now smooth features. He looked so calm and restful like nothing could ever be wrong in this world again. Then my mind began to wonder over to all of the people who will once again lose him. Who will feel the depth of what I had really done. I felt sick to my stomach. The remorse dug into my chest like a dagger.

I clung to him, rocking back and forth in a methodical manner. I whispered over and over to him, telling him how truly sorry I was. I let out a deep, animalistic cry as I finally let him go. I laid him gently on to the cemented floor. It was then that I heard the gasp and looked up to be staring into the horror filled eyes of Kitty Pryde.

It took thirteen minutes for Kitty to return to us. When she did return her face carried a look I know will stay with her for many years to come. I know because I still carried mine and so did Logan. It was face that had seen the cold hand of death.

"Chaton," I called out to her as she stared blankly around us all. A few silent tears slid carelessly down her child-like features. "Chaton," I called again. Her eyes snapped forward, her attention fully honed in on me.

"She killed him," Katherine Pryde whispered to her comrades as silent tears turned angry. "She killed him."

"Half pint what are you talking about?" Logan asked as he moved to stand between me and her. "What did you see?"

"I saw her," She said her face now flushed, tears streaking down her fat cheeks. "She killed him, she held on until there wasn't anything left and now he's really dead."

"Kitty whose dead?" Bobby asked coming to hold her shoulders and comfort his distraught girlfriend.

"Scott. Scott's dead and Rogue killed him."

I blinked repeatedly for what felt like hours. But I couldn't let myself believe that I had actually seen Katherine "Shadowcat" Pryde. Her haunted face left another raw image forever buried into my brain. I looked over from the place in the wall where I had seen her and then back to the limp, cold shell that once held the wonderful soul of Scott Summers.

"Maybe I am finally losing it," I whispered over to him half expecting some sort of smartass answer. Instead all I received was the echo of my own voice and then absolute silence.

I hugged my knees to my chest, pushing my face into my knees and let out another wave of shaky half sobs rock my body. Nothing seemed real anymore. Nothing seemed really worth living for. If that had been Kitty she probably ran back to the rest of the X-Men and told them about my murderous ways. Explained to them in horrific detail about how I had sucked the life right out of the only true combat leader the X-Men had ever had. She probably spewed a venomous tale about how Scott struggled against my hell bent ways until I over powered him and somehow I managed to drain every single drop of life out of him. She probably was there with them all crying and screaming for redemption for their fallen leader.

I feared the looks of disgust and repulsion they would get at the thought of little Marie killing what everyone believed to be the most honest working man on the planet. I was terrified by how Remy would take it.

I took a shuddered breath knowing I was going to be left here to die. Just like Scott Summers. Just like every other person I had ever come into contact with. It was fates cruel way of letting me know that Karma was a hilarious bitch and she was knocking on my door along with her best friend death.

I let out a mechanical laugh that slowly grew into a hysterical laughter that shook my whole body until all I could manage to do was breath in shallow gasps. I was no better than Victor Creed or Agent Zero and very soon I knew I was going to be in the same league as Deadpool.

"I think I am ready now!" I screamed as I stumbled to stand up on wobbly legs. The emotional and physical torment that I had been put through was starting to take its effect on my body. "I am ready to be just like all the rest!"

No one answered my acceptance into their little gaggle of murderous super villain's. All I heard was that horrible echoing sound of my voice reverberating off of the sterile white washed walls.

"HEY!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "Are you even listening to me? I said I am ready for whatever it is you brought me here to do! I am ready to become the ultimate fighting, killing, mutant hunting machine!"

Still I received no answer.

And I feared I never would.

We raced down flights of endless stairs. Everyone was breathing in ragged pants as we raced against time. The worst of what I had feared was already beginning and I knew for a fact that once the process had started for Rogue nothing would be able to stop it.

"One more flight," Kitty huffed out as she raced ahead of us. Her hair whipped wildly behind her as she jumped down to the last flight of stairs. No longer were we worried about keeping things silent. All that matter was getting to Rogue before something else happened.

We rushed the stairs taking two or three at a time. At the bottom Kitty took an abrupt right not even stopping to make sure we were all still there with her. She dashed down the hallway passing the first two doors before coming to an immediate stop in the middle of the hallway.

"Is dis it chaton?" I asked her in between breaths as I looked at the door to her left. But Kitty didn't move she stood stoic at my side. I stopped panting and turned to look at what had caught her undivided attention. There at the end of the hallway stood Agent Zero and Deadpool.

Before I even had a chance to move forward Logan's feral roar erupted behind us. I pushed Kitty off to the left as Logan raced past us. His six inch metal claws shone in the sterile light above us as he charged his prey.

I whipped out my bow staff and turned to kitty. "Get Rogue," she nodded once did about face and grabbed Bobby and Phased through the wall to my left.

I twirled my bow staff in an elaborate sort of way. Too much flourish for this situation. But true to my nature I was never one to not give a show. Agent Zero allowed a grin to spread across his once elegant features.

"You won't escape again," He crooned from across the hallway.

"Remy thinks you be wrong mon ami, Remy be thinking it be you homme who won't be escape this time."

"You think you can save her?" He spat out as he raised his gun to me, "you can't even save yourself."

He pulled the trigger and I jumped and twisted into the air dodging the bullet effortlessly. Soon the rain of gunshots began and like a formal waltz we began our dance.

Bang, Bang and twist and flip. Bang, bang, and twist and flip.

The motions becoming almost repetitive as we continued the dance we both forged long ago. I stole a glance over at Deadpool and Wolverine. As suspected Deadpool's mouth was running a million miles a minute driving the Wolverine into furious frenzy. I let a smirk play on my lips as I charged my staff, did a double back handspring and stabbed my staff into the center of his chest.

Deadpool looked at me and then down to his chest. We both watched as the brilliant magenta light flared.

"Ah hell."

And then the explosion scattered his remains across the once stark white walls. I turned to back to see Logan removing his claws from the now dead body of Agent Zero. We looked at one another neither of said anything as we both started off towards the end of the hallway determined to get to Rogue before it was all too late.

"You can't leave me to die in here!" I screamed as I pounded on the walls. My fists now bloody from the constant abuse I had put them through as I continued to scream and pound on the walls.

I took a step back, my breath ragged, and blood dripping down my ruined hands to stain the floor. I turned to look at Scott.

"Well I guess it's just you and me now."

We eventually caught up to Kitty and Bobby both had been caught up by the few guards that still managed the lower levels. Ten in all and one could tell that only two or three were truly faithful to their jobs. The rest would scatter to the winds once the blood began to spill.

I could tell by the crazed look on Logan's face that he too knew it as well. With a quick flick of both of his wrists the claws were back out and all faces turned from Bobby and Kitty to Logan's deadly hands.

Logan walked to stand in front of Kitty and Bobby blocking any attack that might come their way. He stared down his opponents, raised an eyebrow and spoke one single word that actually made Kitty giggle.

"Boo."

And the fight was on.

"You know I always thought you were so handsome," I confessed to the dead body lying on the floor in front of me. "But you were so in love Jean Grey that I don't even think you realized half of the school was after you."

I sighed to myself as I looked down at the decaying body, "I ran into Emma Frost once you know. Now that was a woman who wouldn't let go. She's still in love with you, you know. She's convinced you're still alive somewhere. Personally I think that lady is a little off her rocker but then again who am I to judge?"

I let out a half laugh at my joke. Then I sighed in absolute despair. I was having a conversation with a dead body. The dead body of a good friend I had inadvertently murdered. It was then that the swishing noise from behind me caught my attention. I turned swiftly ready for whatever horrible thing was walking through that door.

"It's time," the voice ordered and beckoned me with a gloved hand. I stood slowly and followed him, willingly out the door. As I stepped out of my white cell I took one last look at the remains of Scott Summers.

"Goodbye," I whispered and turned and never looked back.

"She was here," Logan confirmed as both Kitty and Bobby cried over the dead body of Scott Summers. His blue eyes now glass covered and lifeless. I couldn't bare myself to continue to look at him.

"How long ago?" I asked him knowing he knew exactly what I meant.

"Not long probably ten minutes max. If we hurry we can still catch up to her," I sighed and looked down at the young X-Men.

"Chaton take Iceman and Cyclopes back to the top. Make sure day stay safe no?" I said to her as she gave me a blank nod.

Logan and I stepped back out of the cell and with a fresh scent to follow we were quick to find the trail. Neither of said anything as we raced down another endless white hallway. However half way down the overhead lights began to flicker in a very uncharacteristic way.

"Something's not right," Logan said as he slowed his pace and began to move with a more cautious approach. I took note and followed suite.

It was the swirling noise that caught our attention first and then the sudden surge of power that cause the main lights to switch off and the emergency lights to come on. I looked over at Logan, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end as we continued to follow the scent of Rogue.

Again I was latched onto an operating table. My mind and body less worried than last time. I was feeling more like I was flying on a kite to nowhere of great importance. I looked around, there were doctors everywhere and a few men dressed in their formal military attire. I was going to be put on show for this. Sadly it didn't bother me in the slightest.

"Today ladies and gentleman we take the first steps towards the greatest weapon America can ever create. This mutant looks so human on the outside, yet she carries the other mutant abilities of over a hundred of her victims in the very tips of her fingers. And after today we will wont only be able to control this mutant but every mutant power she possess and eventually every mutant she helps in the capture of. She will be our greatest work," The doctor so familiar I could never mistake his voice.

Dr. Sinister moved to stand over me, whispering what I assume to him are words of endearment.

"Soon you will be perfect."

And I couldn't stop the tears that fell as the final stages of the process began.

'


	20. The Beginning of the End

Chapter 20: The Beginning of the End

It was like I was under water. Everything felt weightless even myself. My mind was blank and so much easier to manage. It was like everything had just disappeared. All of my troubles and worries seemed to have just floated away. It left me feeling giddy and wonderful. Feelings I hadn't felt in decades.

"She survived," a nurse whispered as she jotted down notes to my right. I turned my eyes to look at her. Her features were simple, plain even. I felt sorry for her. She had no idea that they would probably use me to kill her.

"It's what she's been built to do," that voice, that sickening voice of Dr. Sinister replied to the nurse. Who nodded her head like that was of course the best most logical answer. It left a raw taste in my mouth.

"Sir the situation on the main floors …," a man who I didn't know began and then trailed off.

"Then fix it."

"Yes sir."

The unidentified man scuttled off. I tried to follow him with my eyes but found that I had little or no control over the movement.

"Feel that? That feeling that makes you feel like your body is connected to strings, like a marionette doll. Yes, that feeling! That's me. That's me controlling your body and every single move you make. You can't even blink without me giving you access to it. For now on you belong to me."

His laugh was dark and it echoed throughout the room. Then he abruptly quit and came within centimeters from my face. I could feel his hot breath coating my pink flesh. It made me feel sick inside.

"It'll only be a matter of moments before you'll really understand what I am trying to tell you."

"Sir," the guard, the one from only moment ago rushed up to Mr. Sinister, "the situation on the upper levels has escalated. They have now moved into D-Wing and are approaching at a rather alarming pass."

Mr. Sinister said nothing for a moment as if he was carefully calculating what he was going to do next. I listened to the shuffle of the guard's feet as he waited with little or no patients for Sinister to make his next move.

"Inform the good Captain to start ushering them towards A-Wing. It's about time we tested out our new product."

The guarded said nothing as he rushed out of the room once more. I listened to swooshing of the doors as they opened and closed. Then I turned my full attention back to Sinister. He had that look in his eyes that meant nothing good was coming my way.

He turned to look down at me again. A smile, one of sheer endearment, crossed his features.

"Now Rogue it's time to see what you're really made of."

XX

Without Kitty and Bobby to slow us down, Logan and I made ample time as we descended into the lower levels of the compound. Only once or twice did we manage to get caught up with patrolling guards. They however were more than willing to get out of our way with a little persuasion from both Logan and I.

However the further down we got the more people traffic we ran into. There were people running around in lab coats, guards looking around as if they're expecting us to pop out at them. But no one was really paying that much attention to us. Until we crossed a section of the hallway and a guard spotted us.

Then it was like an entire army poured out of every nook and cranny and filled all of the exits. I looked over at Logan. He let out a deep growl and then did an about face and retreated. I quickly followed. Because what choice did I have if even the Wolverine retreated?

XX

We stood there, silently waiting. For what I had no idea but I knew it would be soon before I found out. Sinister was there standing behind me, I could practically feel his excitement fill the room. Behind him stood quietly were ten of his most loyal guards. And when I mean loyal I mean they're only about as loyal as the pay check at the end of the fight. Moments later Victor joined us. He had this expression on his face. One I couldn't read, one I knew meant no good. He moved to stand right next to me. His clawed hand reaching out to squeeze mine in what I assume was reassurance.

Then the moments passed and then the door across from the large room we occupied opened up and my worst fears were imagined.

XX

We rushed into an open door, trying to out run the guards. But when we had entered the obviously too large room I felt Logan stop right beside me abruptly. I turned to look at him, his mouth half open as he stared out in front of him. I turned to look at what he was looking at and my heart dropped into my stomach.

There she stood. Her face was pale, almost ghostly, her hair short, and her long lush locks no longer adorning her features. She was dressed in a tight fitting uniform, one I had never seen before. But I could tell even from here that it was made just for her. That it had been worn many times before and would be again. My eyes glanced over to Sabertooth. His jaw set as he stared us down. I sucked in a breath as I heard Sinister's cool, cruel laugh.

"Bravo gentlemen! Bravo! I never would have expected my favorite pets to return to me willingly! Now this, this is a dream come true!" He cackled as he moved to stand in front of Rogue. She didn't even move an inch. She just stood there unmoving.

"We ain't joining your crew. All we come here to do is get Rogue and head on home," Logan all but growled out as he his eyes followed Sinister's every move.

"I can't let that happen. In fact I think you'll find that joining me will be your only option."

He snapped his fingers and Rogue, like a robot, moved forward. Almost like she was being forced to against her will. Sinister leaned down as Rogue moved to stand next to him. With a long white hand he moved her short cropped hair away from her face and leaned in close to her ear.

"Kill them."

She didn't even blink as she moved forward.

And then the fight was on.

XX

Fire, Ice, Wind, Metal, Laser's, kenetic energy, super strength, flight, metal incased body, claws…

You name it I used it. I had no choice. I had no option.

I twisted and twirled and dodged and I gave them a full assault. However neither gave any indication of going into the offense. They continually kept on the defensive. I screamed as I let bone spikes erupt from my skin and began throwing them like daggers at my prey. I couldn't stop no matter how hard I tried.

After about twenty minutes I noticed that neither Gambit nor Wolverine could keep pace with me for much longer and neither had the stamina to with stain me. I turned back towards Sinister as both of my competitors leaned against one another in exhaustion. My eyes glanced back towards Victor. I tried to show him with my eyes what I wanted him to do. I wanted him to know that it was okay. That it was okay to go ahead and just end it. To just stop me before I killed another person I actually cared about. But he didn't move, he didn't say anything as he stood there staring at me as I became a monster.

I let a tear slide down my face as I turned back to my assignments. Death it seemed was there only option to survive me. And I prayed one of them had it in them to stop me before that happened.

XX

"We be losing this battle homme," I said between gasps. I was exhausted, beyond physical repair and Rogue hadn't even broken a sweat.

"I never thought I would be the one who would kill another person I loved. I never knew I would be the one to kill her," Logan whispered out and I knew then that he had every intention of killing her…

I felt my heart break for just a moment before I regained composure.

"Non, we can't."

"We have no choice. Rogue is unstoppable. If we let Sinister release her into the world she'll kill us all and she won't have the option. Or have you completely forgotten what she can do?" Logan pressed me and I knew he was right. But killing her? There had to be a better option.

I looked back across the room at her floating figure. She looked dead to the world as pieces of metal floated around her. Her head hung low and her short hair floating aimlessly around her. She was just lifeless. My Rogue was no longer there. I didn't think we would ever get her back.

He didn't need me to say anything my face said enough. I couldn't even watch as Logan roared and began his finale assault on Rogue. I felt everything levitate again as Rogue reactivated her limitless power. But then suddenly it all just stopped. No screaming, no loud sound of shock, no Mr. Sinister yelling at his foiled plans. Nothing. I sucked in a breath and looked up from the spot on the floor.

There standing between Logan and her was Sabertooth.

It was like everything was at a standstill. Logan looked at Sabertooth and Sabertooth looked at Logan and neither said a word. Then Logan did something unusual. He stood up from his crouched attack position and slid his claws back in. A silent agreement was apparently passed between both feral men. I sucked in the breath that I had been holding.

Logan let his claws slide in.

Then the end came.

Sabertooth turned to the docile Rogue. She still stood floating in the air, like a puppet on strings. He walked up to her as if she wasn't the biggest mutant threat on the planet and did the unthinkable.

In one swift moment, a moment so swift not even Sinister himself had time to understand what was happening, Victor Creed reached out with all the force he had and touched Rogue. He touched her until her mutation activated and slowly began to suck the life out of the immortal man.

It felt like hours had passed when everyone finally realized what had happened. I don't know if it was Sinister's pompous attitude to the whole situation or just strange good luck. But the more Rogue sucked out of Victor the more Victor seemed to take over Rogue's mind.

I looked over at Sinister. He stood there, the remote in his hand as he tried to control Rogue. But as I quickly glanced back over at her I soon realized that Rogue wasn't there anymore. Only Victor Creed.

My body shivered at the thought.

Logan waited patiently by my side. Both of us tired, blood covered and confused about what was going on. Then Victor along with Rogue finally collapsed on to the floor. Logan and I turned our attention on to Sinister and the guards.

Five of the guards stepped forward the rest held back in fear. I turned to Sinister wanting my revenge. I bared my teeth, pulled a deck of cards from my pocket and charged them all. If Sinister could go any paler than he already was, in that moment I am pretty sure he did.

"Dis, dis be for _mon Chere_," I grounded out as I let the cards fly in a perfect arch towards Sinister. He took a step back

The cards exploded. The room flared in bright magenta. Then the smoke cleared and Sinister was gone.


	21. Shattered Perfections

Chapter 21: Shattered Perfection

Death; it creeps in uninvited and unwelcomed. It permeated throughout the mansion like an autumn fog. It seemed to have crawled into everything and everyone, leaving an eternal stain that I was certain would never go away.

Storm called in an old friend and student of Xavier's. It didn't take long for the long white limo to pull up to 1407 Graymalkin Lane. I watched the entire scene play out from a window two stories up. Two women emerged from the limo. One dressed all in white, her attire nowhere near appropriate for a school and her hair was so blonde I was sure she at one time worked with Hugh Heffner. The other was Asian with long straight black hair. She was the complete opposite of her counterpart.

I moved from the window and made my way down the staircase to meet the woman who was supposed to help put everything back to the way it once was. I highly doubted her ability. So did many of the others. But what choice did we have in the matter?

I reached the end of the stairs. The two women stood quietly at the school's entrance. It didn't take long for Storm to come out of Xavier's office and greet them.

"Emma," Ororo whispered as she closed the distance between what was once Xavier's office and the white adorned woman. Immediately Storm wrapped her arms around the woman, pulling her in tight. I couldn't see Storms face, but I could hear the tears in her voice. "I am so sorry Emma. We were too late."

I've heard of a woman named Emma before. The White Queen they called her. I remember her briefly in our short time together in Stryker's base. From what I've heard she heartless, as cold as the diamond skin she can transform into. But as I watched her fall to pieces in Storm's arms I knew that even this diamond had a facture at its core.

"No, no, no," Emma all but yelled with such devastating heartache as she struggled against Storms strong hold. "He can't be gone!"

I realized then how lucky I was to not have to be the person Storm had to hold as I felt my world come apart. I also realized at that moment how much in love the White Queen must have been with Scott Summers. I knew as I looked at her face, her perfectly applied make up now running in black tracks down her porcelain skin, that if the same fate had become of Rogue I wouldn't have held it together any better.

"You lie!" she screams and pulls away from Storm. "He's still alive, I know he wouldn't-couldn't-"

She never finished her sentence before she was once again over come with emotions, crumbling to the floor in a desperate heap.

"Enjoying the show love?" The tall Asian woman asked as she slid up against me. I hadn't even heard her come across the polished wooden floors.

"Betsy."

"Remy."

Are acknowledgment of one another was simple, efficient and prompt. Just like our business arrangements in the past.

"Dis ain't a show dis Cajun care to have any heart to watch," I answered flawlessly. A sad smile crept across her face.

"Her love for him was unhealthy anyways," she said with a long heavy sigh. I looked at her; I suppose some loves are unhealthy, especially if that love is never returned.

"Ever love someone like dat?" I asked her knowing the answer fully well. This time there was no sad smile or heavy sigh. She just gave me a hard look. I returned it with a pot and kettle kind of notion. Because anyone who knew this Asian Assassin knew that her love for the famous Warren Warrington the third was just as unhealthy as Emma's and Scott's.

I looked back over to the crying blond as she struggled to gain some form of composure. Storm clutched her to herself on the floor. She tried hushing her as she stroked her long blonde locks. All it seemed to do was make her cry harder.

"So where is she? This Rogue of yours?" Betsy asked me. Her tone was harsh, almost on the edge of boredom. I could hear the slightest hint of an English accent behind her plain dialect. Something that has always thrown me off about her before.

"She be in da Med Lab with Sabertooth. No worries though. We got dem both strapped in real tight." I assured her as we moved from the bottom of the staircase. She seemed to know exactly where she was going. I didn't even have to guide her towards the hidden elevator that led to the lower levels.

Downstairs both Bobby and Kitty were waiting outside the Med Lab's swishing doors. Both looked at opposite walls. An entire world lay forever between the two young teenagers. I knew even then that relationship was beyond anyone's repair.

Kitty half stood as we approach but with a simple wave of my hand she settled back down. At the beginning of all of this I never would have expected Kitty to switch to team Rogue mid game. But then I hadn't expected half of what has happened to have happened. I guess that was some long forgotten sense of good triumphing over evil. But now as we enter the Med Lab I knew somewhere along the way after all the lies that have been uncovered and the truth bore for all of us too see that everything wasn't so black and white anymore. But then again I don't think it ever really was to begin with.

She didn't look real. Actually she kinda looked dead.

She was just laid out there on that hard metal table like a corpse. Of course Scott's dead body and Victor's unconscious one was only two slabs down didn't really help the matter any. I sucked in an unconscious breath as we neared her. She looked so white, so motionless, so…gone.

I felt my heart shudder.

"Hmm," Betsy murmured as she maneuvered around the bed in order to get closer to Rogue. "Her mind is racing."

Betsy places one finely manicured hand on either side of Anne-Marie's head. Her eyes close and her eyebrows furrow together in some form of concentration. Not even moments pass before Logan, Hank and to my surprise Mystique enter the Lab. My eyes flicker between the three new occupants. Hank doesn't say anything as he moves to the back of the Lab. He instantly begins to study something under one of the many microscopes that are scattered about.

My attention moves back to Logan and Mystique. I give Logan a pointed look. Logan just gives me a simple answer.

"She broke in-again."

"You wouldn't have let me in otherwise," Mystique snaps back as her eyes evaluate Betsy and Rogue.

"You would be surprised," Logan sighed out, "just use the damn door next time."

Mystique doesn't respond. She just keeps looking at Rogue. Her intensity bothers even me.

"Why did he do it?" The voice makes me jump. It's Kitty and I didn't even hear her enter after Logan. She's playing with the edge of her hot pink t-shirt. I can see her nervous demeanor from across the room. We all just stare at her. "Why did Sabertooth save her?"

Again no one says anything. No one really knows I guess. I chalk it up to another secret that the Rogue has been keeping from us.

"They were lovers once," Mystique states, "They had a very dysfunctional relationship. They were paired up after a mission out in West Texas went wrong."

She pauses and I know all about the mission that went wrong. The one with Carol that made her go insane. The mission that would ruin her life and distort everything she ever knew. Yeah I knew all about that mission.

"Weapon X thought Victor could keep her in better check. He could handle her episodes better than anyone. He did; after she finally settled down and the episodes stopped almost completely we realized to late their attachment to one another. They were reckless. They trusted only each other. They didn't care who got in their way, they did their job and enjoyed it. Almost too much. They had grown outside Weapon X's control. And Rogue was slowly growing outside of Victor."

Again she paused remembering what I suppose was Rogue's worst days. I could see her, so full of hatred and pain. I could see her so angry at it all. Mystique continued.

"Then something happened. I don't know what it was. No one really does. But one day Rogue just disappeared. It took Victor nearly a month to find her. She was hiding in the cab of Wolverine's pickup truck. The rest you know of course."

We are all quite again. No one says anything. Then Betsy sucks in a deep breath and her eyes pop open as she re-emerges back into the land of the living. We all took a hesitant and hopeful step forward.

"What did you see?" Mystique demanded. Yet her face was filled with such helplessness.

"I met Victor on her physic plain. He wasn't very helpful; all he kept doing was chanting 'I promised' over and over again. Other than that Rogue is so far deep in her own mind, I couldn't find her. It's going to take both Emma and I to find her."

Again I sighed. It could be worse. She could be dead or lost forever within her own mind. I glanced at the now blue Scott Summers and knew that yes, it could be a lot worse.

I took a seat in one of the rough iron chairs. I let my head fall into my hands. I am beyond exhausted from running across the world and back again. I ran my hands through my long hair and yet I knew I wouldn't sleep until I knew she would be okay. And I didn't know why I cared so much. I didn't know why I fell so hard for someone like her. And I don't know when it happened either.

I don't even know why I am even here watching her breath slowly. I don't know why I followed her into the one place I knew I would probably die in. To the one place I knew was a guaranteed end of the line for me. I didn't do things like this. I didn't make heroic gestures of undying devotion. I didn't know why I would do anything when it came to Rogue. And I think that's what bothered me the most about this whole ordeal.

"It's love."

My head shoots up at the voice. Almost everyone but Hank has left the Med Lab. I hadn't even noticed. A fact that bothers me even more than the whole me and Rogue thing. My eyes find the owner of the voice. Emma Frost. She's standing to the side of me looking at the dead body of Scott Summers from across the room.

"Que?" I question her. Her face never turns away from the uncovered remains of Scott Summers.

"Those reasons you've been asking yourself about, the ones you fought so hard against your natural instincts. The reason why you never gave up on her and never stopped searching for her. The reason why you did everything in your power to make she was safe and happy." She took a shuddered breath and let the tears fall. "The reason why you're in this very room even though you know you shouldn't be. It's all because you love her."

I know I said it once before. That I loved her. But at the time desperate for her, I needed her to be okay. But as Emma began to talk to me I now knew why I loved her. I loved her because, like me, she fought against her own instincts to save me in the end too. We were a paired match in so many ways. I couldn't help but want her, to be loved by her. She made me feel like everything was going to be okay and even this fucked up version of my self was perfectly normal as well.

"The things we do for the ones we love, non?" I finally respond back to her. She in turn finally looks at me.

"When she wakes up, don't hesitate. Don't let her go because the moment you do you won't ever get her back."

She walked off then to sit silently next to the man Emma Frost loved more than her own self. Looking at her crying silently by Scott I realized so much. What desperation looked like, true agony, the end of everything a person cared about. It was all right there.

Not ten minutes later Betsy and Storm came in through those swishing metal doors. Ororo immediately went to Emma's side. Betsy stood quietly by mine.

"What did ya see?" I asked her quietly. My voice is hoarse with such raw emotions that I never felt before. Betsy looked down at me. Her face was a mask to me. But I knew she was trying to decide what to tell me.

"Normally her mind would be filled with everything to do with Sabertooth," she paused for a brief moment then continued. "But instead every memory Rogue has about is fluttering on the surface of her mindscape. Below her protective surface is a mystery we're about to solve."

I then noticed Emma moving to stand behind Rogue's head and Betsy shifted closer as well. Together they concentrated, together they would both begin the process of discovering Rogue.

I left them there to do the work only a telepath could do. I wondered around the mansion for what felt like eternity. Until I found myself outside of Rogue's room. I realized that I had only ever been in there that one time, in the very beginning of all of this mess. She hadn't been very fond of me then.

Normally when you think of Rogue now a days you think trained assassin, government spy and murder. You would assume her room would be sparse, nothing that would indicate that she was ever even really here to begin with. But as I picked the lock to her room and I was pleasantly surprised. I had forgotten what it had looked like. It was like even Rogue couldn't hold back against the charm of Xavier's. A vibrant purple comforter lay across her plush bed, covered with a mix match work of pillows. Her walls were covered by a multitude of different music artists. Most I could tell were reflections from the people in her head. I traced a hand across her dresser. The top was filled to the brim with pictures of everyone at the mansion. And in every photo Rogue was in them, smiling with pure delight. Every picture showed a truly happy moment for her.

I studied them all; I don't know why I took so much time to memorize that gleeful expression on her face. But I had a feeling I would need it hopefully one day. After a while of studying her face I suddenly realized that hidden in the back of almost every picture was me. I was always in the back unaware most of the time that the picture was being taken. And in every single one I was looking right at Rogue. In the game room playing billiards, in the library playing cards, in the kitchen eating, by the fountain outside, in the garage, everywhere I was there watching her.

I took a step back from her dresser. I never realized that even before I knew the real Rogue that I was falling for her even then. Or as I should say more like stalking her. Either way somewhere along the line I became captivated by her.

I left her room, shutting the door quietly behind me. I left the only thing Rogue would ever leave behind in the whole world. The only thing that showed she even existed.

Eventually I found myself on the back patio. The mansion held an eerie feeling that seemed to consume even me. Logan was there sitting on the porch swing. It instantly reminded me of Rogue. Her and I sitting there eating meat loaf sandwiches. I was trying to figure out why we were always at such odds. Home, she had said to me, I reminded her of home.

"Hey," Logan grunted out and I was thrust back into reality. The memory of Rogue leaving me just as quickly as it came.

"'Ello Monsieur Claws," I say with lightheartedness but the sigh that escapes me at the end ruins my attempt. There's no point in trying to deny this part of me that's missing.

We sit in eternal silence. The fall of winds begin to pick up the dead leaves. They rustle around the ground in a beautiful dance of color. When did fall get here? I swear only yesterday it was July.

"She'll be just fine Gumbo," Wolverine says breaking the silence. But I have a hard time understanding who he's comforting. Me or him?

"Oui, dat be what da spooks say," I reply simply. Again silence falls down on us. It captures us in this moment and I fear it won't ever let us go.

"You know she put up a pretty good show. Even had me fooled," Logan tells me. This is a rare moment. He would never admit this defeat out loud.

"Oui, she's very good at lyin' even better dan dis old swamp rat."

"But why it was necessary is my question. She knew about you and me. We were both accepted. She would have been too."

I let out a deep sigh.

"Because she was still workin for them," I admit and see Logan's famous eyebrow shoot up. "She was the assassin they were sending after me."

The silence stretches uncomfortably as Logan processes the information.

"Explains a lot."

Then I assumed the conversation was closed and I wondered back down towards the Med Lab.

It was like watching a silent train wreck. No words were said, no tears shed. They just stopped being Bobby and Kitty. In only a matter of minutes it was like Kitty finally realized what being an X-Man meant. While Bobby still remained beyond his idealism's of everything.

I was back down near the Med Lab. I was just sitting outside, Kitty still in her chair. She never moved. It almost made me feel guilty when I attacked her in the X-Van. But only just.

"Is this what it feels like?" She asked me from her chair.

"What feels like petite?"

"Growing up. Is this what it feels like?" Her eyes have a hallowed look to them as I look at her. Her once bouncy hair is now limp. She looks years older now.

"Oui."

She nods her head once in confirmation. It's curt but it holds much understanding.

"I understand now," she says, "I didn't before but now I do."

The room goes quite along with Kitty's childhood dreams.

We lapse into comfortable silence and eventually the exhaustion of the mission catches up with Kitty. She falls asleep in her chair. Only minutes later Storm walks out of the Med Lad doors to sit next to me.

"Do you ever wonder what will happen?" She asks me. "Do you ever wonder what will happen when she wakes up? Will she be uncontrollable like before, lost completely within herself? Will Sabertooth have taken over? Will she remember us? Will she leave? Will they come for her? Will we be safe?"

She stops. I guess it's because she's realizing what she saying and who she's saying it too. But I answer her anyways.

"All the time."


	22. The End

Chapter 22: The End

I think the moment we lost Rogue was the moment that I realized that I could never live in a world where she was not a part of it. Everyone had known it was a possibility but I don't think anyone really thought that she would die. I don't think they would have thought that she would have given up that easily on herself. I for one wouldn't have.

Ororo was the first one to find me. I was sitting on the roof of the school overlooking the grounds. Logan was doing his rounds, making sure for at least for one more night everyone was safe. The sun burned orange as it set in the distance. I was taking long drags off of my cigarette, watching the smoke curl in pretty loops.

_My name is Rogue._

I knew it was Storm even before she made her appearance. The wind had picked up unexpectedly. It had distorted my smoky rings. She landed in a hurried rush so unlike herself. Her eyes looked brilliant and wild as she clamored across the roof tops towards me. I stood up in a confused fashion; I had known Ororo for many years and she was always constantly put together. She was always in complete control. I dropped my cigarette.

_I was sixteen._

"Remy we need you downstairs. Victor-Sabertooth- just died and Rogue…" She said to me in a strung together sentence that I could hardly make out and didn't finish. But I understood it the moment it left her pretty red lips. I moved past Storm and did a backwards summersault off the side of the roof top before landing squarely on my feet. An agility I had thankfully gained while employed at Xavier's.

_I am from Mississippi. Caldecott ,County._

I ran full sprint into the house not even bothering with the elevator that would lead me down to the sublevels. I pushed the emergency exit and ran down the stairwell. I took two or three steps at a time, never stopping as I descended further down towards the Med Lab. I raced down the corridors as I finally made it to the bottom. I slammed my fist into the annoying red button that would open the doors to the one place that would either be my Heaven or my Hell. I walked in and stopped immediately. The room was a chaotic mess as everyone moved about and machines went off in an annoying twitter.

_My parents? Owen and Pricilla De'Canto_

I watched as Emma and Betsy stilled remained at the head of Rogue's bed. Their hands hovering only centimeters away from her deadly flesh as they tried to pull her mind back together. Hank was doing constant compressions on her chest as Kitty pumped air into her lungs. Pete covered fully in his armored attire held Wolverine at bay as he tried to claw his way to Rogue's still form. And Mystique? She sat quietly on a chair and stared blankly at her daughter as silent tears made stains down her indigo flesh. I stood there looking at the scene in complete astonishment.

_How did my powers manifest? I kissed a boy named David. He was in a coma for a while._

"We're losing her!" Hank screamed as he moved from chest compressions to paddles. He rubbed the gel on them and hollered "Clear!"

I watched her body rise up from the electrical shock. Hank looked at the monitor. Nothing happened. I felt panic rise up in my chest. I could feel my heart strain against my rib cage. I could feel my body heat up from the rush of the situation. I took a step forward. Kitty looked up from her ministrations, sweat was apparent on her brow as brown wisps of hair clung to her forehead. I could see what she was asking me just by the look on her face. _Please_ she said. _Please don't let me watch someone else die!_ I took another step forward.

"God dammit! Come on Rogue!" Wolverine screamed as he tried to get past Pete. But I knew that he would have to kill Pete to get to Rogue and that was something he might consider but never actually do. "Fight girl! Fight!"

_How did you get to Canada? I hitched hiked my way there. I always wanted to go when I was younger. I even had a map at home above my bed. You know the big kind with tacks and string stretched all around it._

I was finally only inches away from Rogue's bed, her body covered in tubes and her skin looked deathly pale. Her hair was a tangled mess as everyone rushed all around her. I cringed when Hank pressed the paddles to her again. I could hear Emma murmuring to Betsy. It was low, hardly audible but I could still hear her.

"Come on, come on. We have got to find her. Come on, come on!"

_I was a sophomore when I left home. It was the summer so I would have started my junior year in the fall. _

I looked from her pale chest to her pale face. She looked so peaceful. She looked just like she always wanted too. She was finally free from it all, finally able to have a moment to herself. I reached out and touched her cheek. It was cold, her skin as hard as marble under my fingertips. It was so much like the last time I had held her in my arms. When the blood was leaving her body and soaking into my clothes in that cheap van. But now there is no blood. There is no cheap van. There is no physical sign of weakness. All that's left of her now is this hallowed out corpse lying here dead on this gurney. I pressed my whole hand to her face. Nothing happened.

That's when Hank finally stopped with the paddles and Kitty threw her face mask against the wall and swore loudly. That's when I could hear the metal in Logan's legs connect with the cement floor below him. I could hear the shuddered gasps of Mystique as she tried to control the wave of tears that would soon overcome her. That's when the insistent beeping of the monitors became almost too much to bear. That's when her mutation finally kicked in and began to grasp at me like the finale straws of life.

"Time of death…"

_I am an only child. My Parents never had any other children. _

I sucked in a breath as I felt my life ooze out of my body. As the pain that normally is associated with Rogue's mutation set in. My body immediately clinched and a hand yanked me away from her. I fell to the floor in a spasmodic heap. I began to suck in air like it was a desperate need for me to do so. Then the beeping stopped and so did everyone else as my world faded into black.

_No, I've never done anything other than cheerleading. I've never even held a gun before. I wouldn't know the first thing to do with one if I ever did have one to shoot. _

I woke back up to the faintest gasps as both Emma and Betsy pulled away from Rogue. I couldn't have been passed out for less than a minute. But obviously for Rogue that was more than enough. Emma swirled out of her chair to land hard on the floor below her. With all the effort I could muster, I rose from the ground. Rogue sat straight up like Dracula's bride had risen from her earthly grave. Her skin so icy white, her lips and cheeks only now getting that rosy pink hue. Her green eyes sparkled with a renewed vigor. She smiled at me and I couldn't help but return it. Because even through all the lies, mistrust and traipsing across the world I knew especially now in this moment I loved her completely. More than I had ever loved any other person in the world.

_No one will come looking for me. My parents kicked me out once they realized what I really was. _

"Rogue! Thank God!" Kitty squealed as she launched herself towards the now newly awoken Rogue. But Pete who had only just left Logan's side to comfort the distraught Kitty grabbed her quickly around the waist. He pulled her tightly against him. Kitty stopped and looked up at Pete who only just shook his head.

"Not now Katya," he whispered to her with a shake of his head. Kitty frowned at him and so did I. Until I saw Rogue's red on black eyes shift from green to yellow and the back to red and black.

"She's still unstable," Emma confirmed as both she and Betsy took a step backwards. "Her mind is shifting through all of the people inside her head. She doesn't know who she is. She's not Rogue right now."

Then Rogue grinned a wicked grin. One that made me shiver.

_It was a boy from school. He said everyone was mad at me. I didn't know it was Mystique. I wouldn't have gone if I had known._

"I know you," Rogue said as she looked at me with those devil eyes. Then she scanned the room looking at us all individually. "I know you all."

She ripped her arms out of the metal cuffs Hank had placed her in, just in case. None of us said anything. At the time I would have thought someone would have said something, but looking back saying nothing was a hell of a lot better than saying something stupid. She scanned us one more time and then laughed that laugh that made the hairs on my arms rise up. Then ever so slowly the black over took the red in her eyes until nothing was left but the bottomless inky blackness that seemed to only want to suck you in.

"I am Rogue you know," Her voice sounding out of tune with her lushes mouth. "I am a naturally dishonest per son who is as my namesake suggests uncontrollable and dangerous. It didn't take much effort for me to lie to you all." She paused and her grin changing to a smirk as she slowly began to hover over the gurney. "It wouldn't take much effort on my part to finish what I had been designed and programmed to do. You wouldn't even be able to stop me. I have all of you inside of me." She tapped the side of her head with a perfectly polished finger nail. "I know your every secret and your every desire. I know your weak points and your strong ones. I know who you love, who you hate."

She paused again and I really began to assume she was doing all of this for some dramatic affect.

"I know that Jean never really even loved Scott," She said looking at Emma. "She only wanted him because you did. She almost left him once she realized you had claimed defeat and moved on. But then Wolverine showed up and that changed the game plan completely. Everyone knows Logan loved Jean, but if she left Scott then she wouldn't have two people after her. Because if she left Scott he would go straight back to Emma and she would never have that."

She cackled loudly as both Emma and Logan shifted uncomfortably. Then her attentions moved to Logan. Her smile turning wicked.

"And did you know Wolverine that Mystique is actually your former lover? Did you know that she knows everything about you? Even your real name."

Logan's head snapped to Mystique who stared straight at Rogue with a straight face and determined look. It looked like Rogue wasn't the only one keeping secrets and she planned on spilling everyone's.

"Did you know that Storm was really the one who sent Scott to look for Jean at Alkali Lake?" She questioned as everyone snapped their attentions over to Storm who stood quietly behind me. "Xavier left the Institute to Scott after Jean died and only after Scott mysteriously disappeared did Ororo get the one thing she always wanted. She's the one that told the FOH where to find him. Not me."

"I didn't…She's lying!" Ororo protested. But when no one agreed with her she continued to dig her own grave. "He was a mess he wasn't mentally fit to take on the school if anything should had happened to the Professor."

The Rogue laughed loudly, "So you see Emma Ororo, the one who held you as you cried over the loss of your dear Scott, was really the one who sent him off to that Lab.

"And did you know Emma is the one who was pressing Jean's power from a distance? Emma's the second most powerful telepath in the world. She was only rivaled by Xavier and she knew if Jean was to overcome her Phoenix persona she would out rank her as well. Then once again Jean would have something that Emma desperately wanted. So she slowly and discretely began to break Jean's walls down early, so that the Phoenix could consume Jean and leave Scott all to herself." She looked over at Emma whose face held no sign of arguing otherwise against the allegations. "You've been a very, very bad girl Emma Frost."

Then her head snapped over to Kitty and Pete as they stood with open shocked mouths as Rogue spilled everyone's secrets.

"Pretty Kitty isn't all nice either. She always wants what she can't have. But then she had Bobby and found out she never really had him at all. Because she caught him sleeping with Lorna on multiple occasions and we all know Lorna didn't magically get sent back home because her aunt thought this school wasn't a good fit for her now did she?"

I looked over at Kitty whose lips seemed to form a straight line. Pete's strong grip on her seemed to loosen as he looked down at her in abject horror. Who knew Kitty could be so vicious.

"Don't look so shocked Petey. It's not like you're saint either. I mean being Magneto's inside man at Xavier's must not be what it's all cracked up to be now is it?"

That caused a collective gasp across the room as all eyes turned to the silent metal giant.

"He has my sister," was his only line of defense as Rogue's Cheshire cat smile widened at the results she was getting from the people in the room.

"And let's not forget about-"

"That's enough Rogue." Mystiques strong and demanding voice resonated throughout the room. Rogue's head snapped up towards the older woman.

"Why? You judge me for my lies. It's because of you that I am like this! Look at me I am everything and yet nothing at all!" She screamed as metal objects began to float around the room. The gurney was lifted and tossed across the room by some invisible force. I watched it bend and break against the left side wall.

"We know you Rogue!" Kitty spoke up surprisingly from inside Pete's strong metal grip. "We know you can kill us without even batting an eyelash. We know you Rogue."

Rogue laughed that hard cackle of hers that mocked Kitty for being so naive. "You know the first thing about me."

_I don't know how to fly a plane! I don't even know how to drive a car let alone a billion dollar jet!_

"I know you hate bananas and you're absolute favorite color is purple even though green looks better on you!" Kitty yelled back at her with a pointed finger. "And I know you have it when Logan leaves for long period s of time." Rogue gave Kitty a withering look but she continued undeterred by Rogue's ferocity. "And don't say it's because you were programmed to know where he was at all times. Because we all know that's a lie. You love Logan, he's family, and he watches your back. He would die for you and no one has ever done that for you. You love him just like you love Remy. Why? That's beyond me. But you do. Because there is no way he can love you so much without you loving him back even just a little bit. Because for some damn reason when that man feels for something strongly enough his mood become infectious. It's rather annoying actually."

"You're the only one I know that'll watch hockey with me," Logan said a little sadly that I involuntarily looked over at him with a funny expression. "And you get into it and actually know what the hell is going on. You like to drink whiskey over vodka but if you're drinking straight crown I know its going to be a long night. You like to sit out on the porch swing and drink a good beer with your feet kicked up over the railing. Even though Storm's told ya a million times to not drink in the mansion especially since we all thought you were underage."

I looked over back at Rogue. Her face was becoming murderous and I realized that the real secrets Rogue had been keeping were from herself. I sucked in a shuddered breath.

_I don't know what kind of name is Wolverine?_

"You like to listen to really bad eighties music and sing off key when you think no one is around," I turned around to see Bobby standing stoic by the door way. I hadn't heard him come in. "And you like chocolate fudge ice cream the best."

"You like cheap romance novels. They're hidden under your mattress," Kitty piped back in.

"You tried to dye your hair black last year and it didn't work to cover the streaks in your hair," Storm whispered in, "you cried the entire afternoon away in your room."

_You're not my Father Logan and I am not doing this for some boy. I am doing this for me._

"Carol wouldn't have wanted you to be like this," Mystique finally spoke up as she moved from her chair to stand the closest to Rogue. "She would have wanted you to be happy. She wanted you to leave this life and be normal." Mystique reminded Rogue, like we all were. We were doing what we could to remind her of who she was and not who was programmed to be. "I should have left you alone when I had the chance. Out of all my children I just couldn't ever let you go. I never wanted you to be too far away from me. Yet I wanted you to be faster, stronger and cleverer than anyone else. I wanted you to survive against all costs. And in the end I turned the one person I loved beyond all others into the very thing I was trying to protect you from."

_I am perfectly fine with my life. Perfect fine._

"I am so sorry Ann-Marie," Mystique whispered to her. "I am so sorry that I spent so much time trying to make you into something that you're not. I am sorry that I ruined you. But everyone's gone now. There's no need to lie to anyone anymore. Especially not to yourself." She paused and motioned towards me and the rest of the X-Men. "These people love you and you can't deny that what they said wasn't something that Weapon X made you do. They didn't make you watch hockey with Logan or planet flowers with Ororo. They never asked you to do any of that. Ann-Marie did that, not Rogue."

Rogue looked away from Mystique, tears running freely down her face and slowly the inky blackness slowly ebbed away showing hints of that brilliant jade.

"We love you Ann-Marie," I whispered to her from my spot from across the room, "I love you."

"Maybe it's time you started to love yourself too," Mystique told her as she took a step back. "It's time to be Ann-Marie again."

_Rogue I had said. I am sixteen_

All Rogue could do was nod her head and let the last several years worth of agony spill out of her as Mystique all but ran to hold her. A collective sigh could be heard as objects fell carelessly to the floor around us all. Everyone was exhausted from the emotional rollercoaster they had all just been through. But as I looked at Rogue as she cried loudly into her Mother's arms for the first time. I soon realized that even though I loved her I knew I wasn't the only one.

_I lied._

A/N: This is the last and finally chapter for I lied. All that is left is the Epilogue. This next chapter is dedicated to my little sister Kolista. Because she begged for a happy ending.


	23. Epilogue

Epilogue

I lied to them. My family, my friends and even to the man I loved. Hell at the end of it all I was even lying to myself in one capacity of another. It was easier I suppose than to tell them the truth about me. People later on would eventually ask me why I did all that running about. I would simply tell them in the most unassuming way possible that is had just been easier that way. Then we would all laugh because at the end of it all when all the lies were uncovered and all of the truths were told, none of it had been easy at all.

In fact it had been damn nearly deadly.

But now as I am sitting here on the back porch swing watching my family run around the mansion grounds I can't help but smile. Even though my real siblings are all grown up and moved away and Aunt Janie is now resting peacefully beside my real momma I know I am the luckiest girl in the whole world. Because my new mother is walking the gardens with my foster brother Kurt as they catch up on all those missed moments together. My new Father is yelling at the new recruits as they once again mess up their training session. But he catches my eye and throws me a wink and a grin that makes me chuckle out loud.

Kitty, my best friend, is six months pregnant with her first daughter and she's marching around the yard like she's got something to say to someone. And poor Pete's trailing behind his wife like it's the hardest mission he's ever been on.

Bobby, oh poor Bobby, is sitting on the edge of the pool. His on and off again girlfriend Emma is lounging on a deck chair. A pair of expensive sun glasses pinned nicely on her face. Now there was a couple no one saw coming. But as Emma yells at Bobby to go get her a drink I know in a matter of seconds she's going to get sprayed but a shower of water and a fight will surly break out.

I looked over at Storm as she lounged casually beside me. Her eyes fixed on her charges, on her students. I sighed in contentment. Because running around across the yard was my husband. He was laughing that deep laugh that seemed to always shake his whole body. He was running in the opposite direction of our son and daughter. Both are still too young to know about the many worries of the world. Both of them are my most precious gift I could ever been given. I hear them laugh as they tackle their Father to the ground. Their childish giggles immediately elicit a smile out of me.

"So how does it feel?"Ororo asks me as she takes a sip of her tea. I look at her oddly waiting for her to explain her comment. "How does it feel? This new life you've made for yourself Ann-Marie."

I look at her and then back across the grounds where my family is now playing around and enjoying the casual afternoon. I sighed again. "Couldn't have made it a better one."

"Ain't dat da truth chere," Gambit, Remy LeBeau, my husband says in between deep breaths. Our children had worn him out from running around outside for more than half the afternoon.

"Yes, yes it is." I respond as he leans over the porch railing and gives me a lite kiss. I smile inadvertently as he tries and fails to deepen our kiss. Because tugging on his trench coat is our daughter all bright eyed as she begs him to come catch her now. Remy laughs that laugh again, throws me a wink and is off after her. I can't help but laugh because I know there is no better life other than this one.

_My name Is Ann-Marie LeBeau_

_I am thirty-five years old_

_I am the mother of two beautiful children, a boy and a girl._

_My husband is Remy "Gambit" LeBeau and I couldn't have asked to be married to better man._

_I am from Manchester, New York._

_I am a mutant._

_I am X-Man._

_I am Rogue._


End file.
